Antilles Cafe

The glass door of Flatbush's Antilles Cafe traces the outline of Hispaniola, one of the Caribbean's most populous islands. The image leads to a commonly asked question fielded by owners Dru Goicochea and Erick Nicoleau: Is the cafe Haitian or Dominican? Turns out it's both, as the duo created the third space to represent their shared heritages, community, and love despite the two countries' long-held historical tensions. At Antilles Cafe, the motto is simple: "One Island, One Love."

The saltfish bánh mì is an amalgamation of those cultures and then some: the traditional Vietnamese sandwich swaps pâté for a thin but bright layer of saltfish, still spread over a thick, plush French baguette, and tied together with a nice, lightly pickled crunch of Haitian pikliz. That also extends to the plantain brûlée latte; its smooth caramelized plantain syrup, swirled with nutmeg and cinnamon, drinks pleasantly sweet without going overboard. But even the dishes that don't mash the two together stand on their own, such as the unctuous morsels of griot, salty and fried to a deep brown, offset with forkfuls of deep purple cabbage, pickled and slightly heated. The menu is exciting, but it reads like a preview of more to come, as the portion sizes leave you more comfortable than full.

But this November, Antilles' footprint will expand even further, as an extra space used for events will soon become a wine bar. Here's hoping for a future toast of tostones and wine in the near future.