Vicky Amira enjoys Caribbean food. "I love Puerto Rican food, and I love Cuban food. Don't make me choose," she adorably begs. Her ambidextrous taste buds lead to Amira's Trio, a Cragin restaurant where both cuisines fuse in a setting fit for families – the name derives from having two daughters and a son.

Stepping inside evokes a basement family party feeling – Boricua style. Salsa blasts from the kitchen, loud enough to hum the words for those who know them, but not so much where conversations compromise. Intimate lighting works with coffee-colored hues and polished hardwood floors. Artwork inundated with sea-foam greens, antelope-skin browns and oatmeal beiges splashes in a compact room with exposed ventilation. And further flaunting the family-oriented sentiment, a wooden sign hangs, reading: Kitchens are made to bring families together.

Aside from locals savoring interesting combinations, celebrities and hometown heroes slide in. Among them, the list includes comedian Carlos Mencia, former Cub Henry Blanco, and baseball legend Minnie Minoso. The restaurant has also catered events for Univision and the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce.

For dinner, try the exclusive Cuban-Rican sandwich, $6.95. It blends the ingredients of the acclaimed jibarito common in Puerto Rican cuisine with those of the well-known Cuban sandwich. Empanadas also sell; of them, Vicky vehemently says, "They're pretty damn good." Dip them in her highly complimented chimmi-churri sauce.

As with most Caribbean restaurants, you'll have plenty left over for lunch the next day. And if you're lucky, you'll get a hug and kiss on the cheek before takeoff, sealing the deal on the family feel.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: David-Anthony Gonzalez