Ready, set, eat!

I’m making dinner reservations for August. Sound strange? Not really.

August kicks off Miami Spice Restaurant Month, and folks who are familiar with this annual citywide dining promotion like to plan ahead. This is the time to check out Miami’s hottest restaurants – and still have money left over to pay the babysitter.

During August and September, the Miami Spice promotion lets you savor fantastic three-course meals for just $22 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Think about it – three courses for just $22! These are some of the best chefs in the country. Are you hungry yet?

The Miami Spice restaurants are an all-star roster of top chefs and Zagat-rated dining establishments. Some new, some old – all dishing out tantalizing cuisine at prices that won’t scare your date – whether it’s a Man Date, First Date, Blind Date or plain ol’ Dinner Date.

Old favorites include Chef Allen’s, Mark’s South Beach, Azul, China Grill, Blue Door at Delano and Christy’s. Spice newcomers include Table 8, South Beach; David Bouley Evolution; Food Gang; Michael's Genuine Food & Drink; The Oceanaire Seafood Room; GNU Restaurant & Lounge and several more places that I simply can’t wait to try.

Every year at this time, my office pals and I start chatting about our favorite restaurants. We plot, we plan, we compare notes.

“I want to go back to Azul. Remember how good it was when we went last summer?”

“Oooh, the Caesar salad at Christy’s… It’s as delicious as their steaks!”

“We ate and Chef Allen’s and the dessert was to-die-for!”

“Who has a birthday coming up? We need an excuse to take a long lunch during Miami Spice Month.”

And so on.

For lunch, we venture to places close to the office. For dinner, we make plans with friends and significant others who really appreciate fine dining. Don’t waste a Miami Spice meal on your Aunt Mabel who’s back on Pritikin. It’s much too special for her.

This year’s presenting sponsor is American Express. If you’re a cardholder, you can get advance reservations at the participating restaurants. Another cool thing: several of the Miami Spice restaurants offer special food and wine events, including themed dinners, wine tastings and cooking classes. At Talula’s Forks & Corks Fridays, you can sample four-course wine dinners with catchy themes like Tuscan Nights, Vino Latino and Tour d’France. On Tuesday nights, Chef Allen’s offers cooking demonstrations using exotic spices from Southeast Asia, North Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Like my cubicle-mates, you should appreciate Miami Spice Restaurant Month for the culinary gift that it is. Many of us (myself included) get too busy at certain times of the year to make time for the finer things in life. In Miami, summer brings a more relaxed pace – and eating out offers a few distinct advantages over busier seasons. On South Beach, nobody’s barreling at you 90 mph trying to steal a parking space. On the mainland, there’s no snooty Maitre d’ telling you how impossibly booked they are for the next 12 weeks. Valet lines? Nothing like Boat Show weekend, that's for sure.

So now’s the time to get gussied up and get out on the town. Browse the Miami Spice menus, pick a few favorites and get ready indulge yourself.

Remember to tip well.