The Florida Café

Chef Sergio Perez left his native Havana with his mother's recipes in tow more than 20 years ago, and he still uses them to whip together Cuban fare at The Florida Café. For the past 15 years, he's been crafting cuban sandwiches, paella, slow-roasted pork, fried cow, and shrimp enchiladas from this eatery, which calls the Howard Johnson Hotel home. He and his kitchen staff also prepare breakfast dishes such as eggs with plantains and cuban toast. Sergio augments his list of eats with live Cuban music and an array of wines and specialty cocktails, including the original mojito made with Cruzan light rum, lime juice, mint leaves, and rock-candy syrup from Mount Rushmore's four giant lollipops—gifts from Cuba.