Meet exhibit A: Adam Rodriguez

The star of "CSI: Miami" relaxes the night away with our intrepid reporter.

By Michele Hatty

Dusk is settling over Skybar, one of the hippest nightspots in Miami Beach's trendy South Beach, and Adam Rodriguez is taking in the scene. Mr. Tall, Dark and Unbelievably Handsome, the star of CBS' hit "CSI: Miami," fits right in with the see-and-be-seen crowd.

Across the outdoor bar, "beautiful people" huddle in packs. A few swing in a hammock; others sprawl on a wrought-iron bed positioned smack in the center. "I like this place," Rodriguez says, sipping on a vodka tonic on the couch we've claimed.

Rodriguez, 29, has earned a night of relaxation. Although the crime drama typically films in L.A., the actor has just finished a grueling two-week stint shooting key scenes all around the show's namesake city, and he's agreed to spend his last night in town showing me some of his favorite places and giving me a glimpse into his life -- at work and at play.

On "CSI: Miami" (Mondays, 10 p.m. ET), he plays Eric Delko, an underwater crime recovery specialist who occasionally finds himself staring down alligators in the line of duty. The series is Rodriguez's fourth. The first was the short-lived Steven Bochco cop drama "Brooklyn South;" the second, the blink-and-you-missed-it medical mystery drama "All Souls;" the third, the teen cult hit "Roswell."

Before he auditioned for "Miami," he'd never seen an episode of the show that spawned it, the original "CSI." Now that he's part of the three-series phenomenon ("CSI: NY" is the most recent entry), he says he understands why people love the franchise in all its variations: "Innately, everybody has a morbid curiosity. And beyond that, it's the same thing that's made Sherlock Holmes popular -- people tune in to solve the mystery every week. They want to be a part of it, watch it unfold, and watch these characters they've invested in."

Although his character has to confront some fairly grisly scenes, the actor isn't uncomfortable around fake gore. "I'm fascinated," he says. "It's cool how realistic our special-effects people make things look."

Off the clock, Rodriguez, who is three-quarters Puerto Rican and one-quarter Cuban, is an affable guy. His biggest passion is food ("I make amazing French toast!"). He regrets that he isn't fluent in Spanish but is frustrated when people assume he speaks the language simply because of his surname. He longs to visit Cuba and is excited about a condo he's just bought in Puerto Rico. But at heart he's still a New Yorker, remaining close to guys he grew up with in suburban New City, N.Y. Over the course of our evening, his cellphone buzzes non-stop, and among the callers are his longtime friends.

Later, I chat with a few of those pals -- including Tennessee Titan Keith Bulluck -- who went to high school with Rodriguez; they confirm this is a guy intent on staying true to his roots. Says Bulluck: "Adam is for real. He's a couple years older than me, and I've always looked up to him. He knows where it's at."

Those same friends testify to Rodriguez's charms with the opposite sex. In our conversation, he casually mentions that in 1999 he met Jennifer Lopez at a dinner party and she invited him to be in the video for her first single, "If You Had My Love." When I ask if he tangoed romantically with the legendary diva, he demurs. But his buddy Matt Schulman, who has known the actor since elementary school and now co-owns a sports brokerage firm with him, is more forthcoming. "She flew him to London for a weekend! There was definitely something there," Schulman says.

Rodriguez may not kiss and tell, but he doesn't mind talking about other perks celebrity has brought him. Like scoring a table at his favorite Miami restaurant, Casa Tua, on a moment's notice. As we leave Skybar and walk to that pricey Italian trattoria, he stops to shake hands, chat, wave and flash a smile when fans recognize him. When we finally get to the restaurant, he knows all the hostesses and waiters by name and hugs the young woman who seats us.

Between bites, he tells me about growing up in New York. "New City is a fairly affluent suburb," he says. "But I also spent a lot of time with family in the Bronx. I've been fortunate to have grown up around all different types of cultures and people. It's really made me open to people and the world. I'm appreciative of that."

He and kid sister Vanessa learned at a young age the high importance his parents placed on family and honor. In fact, family ties almost led him into a very different profession. "I'm the first male in my family not to serve at least one four-year term in the military," he says. Bad eyesight sidelined his interest in becoming an Air Force pilot. Then, he says, "I got involved in acting and realized this is what I really want."

At 1 a.m., we're the last to leave the restaurant, and Rodriguez drops me off in the impossibly white minimalist lobby of the Townhouse hotel. Before we part, he envelops me in a hug.

"Peace," he says, and strides off into the still-hopping South Beach night.