Mimita's Cuban Cafe

This family-owned restaurant in Chandler serves up classic Cuban comfort foods in a cheery, pleasant atmosphere and with service as friendly as the fare. For a snack or a light meal, try the empanadas or a medianoche sandwich (similar to the Cuban, but with sweet, eggy, challah-like bread). Exceptional entrees include the Cuban roast pork dish, lechon asado, lightly sweet picadillo criollo (Cuban-style hash), and the classic ropa vieja. End the meal with a shot of café Cubano and lightly fried and twisted pastries in an anise-laced syrup called bunuelos cubanos. For planners who call ahead, dishes of paella valenciana and arroz con pollo a la chorrera (soupy chicken and rice), which require one to two hours of preparation, are worth the wait.