Andre's Cuban & Puerto Rican Restaurant, San Diego

A façade of salmon and tawny stone ringed with palm trees beckons to passersby, hinting at the tropical dishes of shrimp, roast pork, and fried plantains contained inside. Like an edible cruise ship, the bill of fare takes diners on a culinary tour of the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico, with dishes of slow-cooked shredded beef, saffron-tinged rice, marinated chicken, and sautéed fresh fish. A canopy of leafy palms surrounds private banquets or nightly dinner guests as they finish things off with a dessert of flan or guava empanadas. Next door, an international Latin marketplace invites patrons to create their own tropical feasts at home with hard-to-find grocery items from countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Puerto Rico.