Vicente's Cuban Cuisine

Molly Abraham, Detroit News Restaurant Critic: This Cuban cafe is simply a delight with its menu underscored by appropriate background music, and Desi, Lucy, Fred and Ethel playing continuously on flat-screen television on vintage "I Love Lucy" shows, and its friendly welcome by proprietor Vince Vasquez and his staff. The setting in a restored building is just right with its evocation of Art Deco Havana. A dance floor separates the dining room and bar area. Dishes include very good black bean soup (and, of course, black beans come in many guises from salads to side dishes), Cuban-style paella, garlic-marinated chicken with fried plantains, Cuban sandwiches and several beef dishes, including ropa vieja. The place very much reflects the upbeat personality of its proprietor, whose mother, Maria, supplied many of the recipes. Chef Roberto Caceres has added an extensive list of tapas to the menu as well as tweaked some of the homestyle Cuban recipes.