Lansing - The sounds of native Cuban music mixed with the smells of rice and pork will be permeating Old Town.
Cafe Cubano, 311 E. Grand River Ave., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday with Mayor David Hollister to officially open its doors.
“People come for the first time and they become friends,” owner Sabina Texido said.
Texido, who came from Cuba in 1997, said the food at her restaurant is “flavorful and savory but not hot.”
With names like puerco asado-roasted pork, morose cristianos-white rice and red beans and arroz con leche - a type of rice pudding - the restaurant is a new Cuban restaurant in Lansing.
Texido, who does much of the cooking, said newcomers to the restaurant are urged to try the sample platter in order to get a better feel for what they like.
“The main staple is the roasted pork and we also have some other classics like steak Cuban-style,” she said.
But it isn’t just the food that has a Cuban flavor.
The walls of the restaurant are decorated with several signatures of friends from different countries who have dined at the establishment.
Texido said the idea came from a restaurant in Havana, Cuba, that had been home to many international celebrities.
“We thought it would be a chance so people could have their wall of fame,” she said.
The restaurant also has entertainment on Saturdays and offers youth and adult salsa classes.
“The ambiance here is very different from other places, it is very relaxed,” she said.
Hollister said the restaurant helps make the city more diverse.
“Any world class city is rich in diversity, so having a Cuban-based restaurant in Old Town is thrilling,” he said.
Hollister said the restaurant also gives a place for young people to go and hang out.
“I am impressed that Sabina would invest her future savings and her resources in Old Town,” he said.
Linda Sutton, executive director of Old Town Main Street, said the event was a way for thanking businesses for taking interest in Old Town.
She said Cafe Cubano has been enjoying some great success.
“It is the type of place where once you experience the food you want to go back,” she said.
