Bon Appetit's 8th Annual Restaurant Issue

That island's spirit was also the starting point for Cuba Libre Cafe, which for a year and a half has been drawing crowds in the trendy Knox-Henderson district just north of downtown Dallas.  But, as suggested by the demand for Cuba Libre's 16-ounce eponymous rum-and-cola cocktail, the owners of this lively, music-filled indoor-outdoor retaurant have spun their concept in a more freewheeling direction.  Says managing partner Greg Kalina, "We aim to make people feel like they're getting away from the grind."

That's not to suggest that the menu gets short shrift--just that the owner's interpretations of Caribbean food are playful.  Take their media noche, a superior version of the pressed and grilled Cuban sandwich, served on Mexican pan bread and packed with tangy slow-roasted pork, sliced ham, pickles and melted Swiss cheese.  Bunuelos, the Latin world's doughnuts, are transformed into an assemblage of cinnamon-dusted tortillas, fried bananas, tropical fruit, vanilla ice cream and chocolate and caramel syrups.  Faced with such a dessert, it's hard to remember what particular grind you've gotten away from.