Breathtaking view: Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa

Unlike moms, dads have it bad. Year after year, they keep getting the same gift over and over again on what is supposed to be their special day. There are only so many ugly ties a man can take. This year, it's time to realize that mom isn't the only parent who enjoys being pampered.

Men are no longer the grunting, brooding, flannel-clad apes of yesteryear. Today's dads come in all shapes and sizes, even the metrosexual variety, and as such, won't get much use out of that ugly tie, a drill bit set, or a cheap shaving kit. Metrosexual dads enjoy spa treatments and brunch, just like any other civilized person.

In honor of our forgotten fathers, we have put together the top three places to take papa this Father's Day where sweat, snot, and spit are not welcome -- unless you're in the steam room.

See also:
- Father's Day Foodie Gift Ideas For the South Florida Father
- Father's Day in South Florida: Where to Take Dad in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

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inspiredmama.com

As with most men, we at Clean Plate Charlie say the way to a dad's heart on Father's Day is through his stomach. Instead of cooking dear old dad his favorite food, why not treat him to something truly special?

To help with ideas, we've gone ahead and whipped up a few gift suggestions for all the food-loving fathers out there. With steals from area restaurants serving up Father's Day deals and specials, to plenty of beer and burger-related food events, this year you'll be sure to make his day. What better way to say "thanks" to Dad -- in a foodie sort of way.

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Prancercise

Prancercise: Eat like a horse and lose weight.

By now, you've probably heard all about Prancercise, the workout created right here in south Florida by 61-year old Joanna Rohrback that allows you to prance and trot your way to fitness.

We've got to admit, we've never seen a fat horse so Rohrback might be on to something. Rohrback, who lives in Coral Springs, is in pretty good shape herself, as evidenced in the video which features her wearing a salmon-colored Chanel jacket and white pants.

But, while the workout has gotten most of the publicity, Rohrback also stresses diet in her Prancercise lifestyle, which basically means the old saying, "she eats like a horse" is a good thing, indeed.

We spoke with the fitness maven, who told us that the path to perfection is threefold. "It's about diet, spirituality, and physicality."

See also:
- Prancercise Goes Live at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Tuesday June 18

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There are two important things to know about today's Riverwalk Burger Battle.

First, is that this year's winner will be whichever burger induces what Renee Quinn, a consultant for battle organizer Riverwalk Trust, called "Burger Nirvana."

Second, hopefully you already purchased your tickets, because they are now sold out. $40 for general admission will get you 16 burgers and three drinks, anything from Goose Island's pale ale to good ol' Jack Daniels.

See also:
- The Five Best South Florida Food & Drink Events This Weekend: Tour du Monde, Yappy Hour, and More

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Laine Doss

Best fro yo machine. Ever.

We're moving to a newer, larger townhouse. Of course, lots of space means the need for more furniture. And that means spending Memorial Day at Ikea instead of the beach.

As you might imagine, the mega-store filled with Lacks and Malms and Vanligs was bustling with slightly confused families trying to figure out whether or not they'll be able to assemble that Klingsbo once they get it home.

After picking out the four items we needed (and filling the cart with about another dozen that we really didn't), we checked out. Just as we were about to exit from the din of the warehouse-sized furniture outlet into the sweet light of day, a line caught my eye. Was this for some bargain on "scratch and dent" lamps?

Nope. It was for frozen yogurt. Specifically, for the most awesome frozen yogurt machine ever.

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Courtesy PETA

Emron Khan - sexy vegan next door.

Attention people of south Florida. You may want to put down your pastrami sandwiches for a moment (or forever) after we introduce you to Emron Khan, who has been chosen as a finalist in PETA's Sexiest Vegan Next Door contest.

The annual contest pretty much shatters all those "milk - it does a body good" ad campaigns by showcasing some mighty fine ummm....tofu-cake in the form of beautiful men and women who all happen to be vegan.

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Kim Fleming via Flickr

Cicadas are tasty treats.

All over the Northeast and South, people are preparing for the emergence of 13-year and 17-year cicadas.

According to Mother Nature News, these loud but harmless creatures have been living underground since the mid-'90s, lying in wait for the opportunity to fly about and mate like crazy for two months before the surviving cicadas return to the earth to sit out another decade-plus.

Though there are many groups and subspecies of cicadas, the southernmost group is called the "Great Southern Brood" and should emerge by mid-May, when they will loudly go through their series of mating calls until about mid-July. The "Brood" has already been spotted in Georgia, and although they probably won't make their way to South Florida, we do have annual cicadas here.

This is all fascinating, but what does it have to do with food? Well, according to Michael Raupp, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and author of the Bug of the Week blog, cicadas are delicious and nutritious.

See also:
- Florida's Giant Snail Problem: Five Places to Get Escargot

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New York Times: We gotcha!

Every year, when April Fool's Day rolls around, Clean Plate Charlie is faced with the same dilemma: Do we write a prank blog post? The answer, of course, is yes.

The best April Fool's posts are the ones that could possibly be true as you read. Then, a few nuggets of information that are so outrageous they cannot ever be real are introduced to the story...sending out a signal to the savvy that this is a prank.

In the past, we've written about a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale that serves only "alternative proteins". In other words -- bugs.

This year, we decided to take on pop culture and cocktails with the opening of Mad Cocktails, a Mad Men-themed lounge opening in several airports throughout the United States. Happily, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Read also:
- Mad Men-Themed Cocktail Lounge to Open at Fort Lauderdale Airport
- Ladybug, Ladybug: New Restaurant Offers Different Kind of Protein

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Screenshot from YouTube

Pablo the Pug is a critic.

Every now and then us food writers are reminded that although our jobs are cool, we're not "all that and a bag of foie gras-flavored chips".

So, when we heard that a Pug was the latest hot new food critic, we had to investigate him. True, he does an admirable job, but do you really trust a creature who sniffs his own butt to advise you where to bring a date for dinner?

So we dug a little deeper and found five of the best food critics around. From people singing the virtues of fast food to cartoon characters -- here are our favorite internet food critics.

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Screenshot from YouTube

Cows get down.

We only knew it was a matter of time before bovines started shaking their tails to the "Harlem Shake."

This, friends, is what happens when the liberal agenda takes over good faith-based fast food restaurants. First, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy makes friends with Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, and the company ceases donations to anti-gay groups.

Then, according to ABC, the company issues a statement that says, "Our intent is to not support political or social agendas."

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