Puerto Rican-born chef/owner Jodrick Ujaque took stints at well-known Caribbean-inspired Miami establishments before opening his Homestead restaurant in 2011. With influence, however, comes innovation, evidenced by a menu that displays a tasty blend of American, Taíno, Caribbean, and even Asian influences. The eight-table dining room is simple, dark, and rustic, if a tad cramped. Start with pa' picar — snacks like bolita de queso (deep-fried golden torpedos of stretchy cassava dough filled with Gouda and white cheddar) and alcapurria (delicate picadillo nestled in a plantain masa and fried to crisp perfection). Puerto Rican purists might pass on more unorthodox offerings like macarrones con res, a truffle and chipotle mac & cheese made with cotija cheese and birria-style braised beef. But they'll surely rejoice when presented with the mofongo, a Boricua staple of pounded green plantain mash mixed with nibs of pork-belly chicharrón and shaped into a sphere, whose starchy texture softens when dunked into the accompanying caldo de pollo. It can be served alongside chicken, shrimp, or steak and arroz con gandules, the Caribbean island's version of rice and beans.