Cuba

Braised Beef Ropa Vieja, $18.95 | Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar

While the bright yellow aji amarillo sauce zigzagged over the ropa vieja looks progressive, this dish is really a traditional stew. "It represents bringing people together, which is what Latin culture is about," says former chef Robert Cabrales. Served over rice, black beans and caramelized plantains, the aji amarillo — a combination of peppers, veggies and spices — adds faint heat to the beef, creaminess and tang over top the dish and binds together the crunchy jicama and pickled red onion slaw. "It's a very hearty, comforting, soulful dish," he says.

28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 900, Woodmere, 216-896-9020, paladarlatinkitchen.com