FLINT, MI -- Rob Cranmer was one the first customers to purchase authentic Cuban cuisine, a mouthwatering experience he’s been deprived of for years at a newly opened bakery and café in Flint.
“The little cafes down there were just awesome. It was just amazing,” Cranmer said of his experiences while living in Florida and indulging in the offerings of the local shops. “I would take the kids to school in the morning and coming back we would just get some fresh bread and pastries and we just really miss that. This is so amazing to finally have something up here.”
Cranmer, a resident of Flint for 25 years, surprised his wife with fried croquettes among other items from Mimi’s Cuban Bakery and Café as it opened its doors on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
The business, located at 1844 S. Dort Highway, reminded Cranmer of the experiences that the local cafes of Florida gave him years ago.
Cranmer and his wife moved to the Flint area from Miami in 1996, a few years after enduring Hurricane Andrew.
“We really have waited a long time for this,” he said, with excitement.
Liset Antunez, owner of Mimi’s, served members of the community the authentic food prepared with recipes she learned at just nine years old on Tuesday as a steady stream of customers patronized the business throughout the day.
Originally from Cuba, Antunez learned how to cook from her mother Belikis and grandmother Zoila Perez, who she affectionately called “Mimi.”
“I know she’s happy,” Antunez said of her grandmother.
The business owner said that her grandmother, who is her father’s mother, also enjoyed cooking. She died last year on Aug. 26, one day after Antunez’s birthday.
“We came here to invest. We never thought about restaurants or business,” said Antunez of her family’s move to Flint three years ago.
Since the news spread throughout the community about the opening of the business, positive messages and encouragement have flooded in, Antunez said.
“All the customers call me and leave me really nice messages like; ‘You can do it and everything’s going to be Ok.’ I receive huge support from the community,” the owner said.
Antunez admitted that the restaurant doesn’t prepare the healthiest food options, but they’re delicious options as everything is prepared onsite.
Food items on the menu include potatoes stuffed with chorizo, fried croquettes with ham, tamales with a house made sauce, rice, beans, and fricase de pollo -- chicken and potatoes simmered in a flavorful tomato-based sauce.
And, of course, the Cuban sandwich.
On Sundays, Antunez will serve up ‘crazy trays,’ a dish that includes fried pork chunks, tamales, and tilapia bites served with a slice of toasted Cuban bread smeared with butter and garlic.
Drink options feature Cuban espresso, fruit juices and smoothies, and the Cuban Mamey milkshake -- a treat made from the tropical mamey fruit grown in Cuba and parts of Central and South America.
Customers will also get the chance to top their meals off with something sweet from an expansive dessert menu.
Dessert options include Cuban pies, and other flavored pies such as flan as well as arroz con leche -- a favorite in Latin American cuisine.
Hours of operation for Mimi’s Cuban Bakery and Café are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to noon on Sundays.
The restaurant will also offer catering services.
“We appreciate the opportunity the community has given us to get into the community here,” Antunez said.
Read more on MLive:
New restaurant set to bring authentic Cuban cuisine to Flint
Community celebrates grand opening of ‘eyesore’ in Flint transformed into $7M apartment complex
Michigan’s Best Local Eats: This eatery in Flint has every chicken wing flavor for your taste buds
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