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Cantina taps into the increasingly popular trend of channeling Old Havana as restaurant muse. Here, it’s manifested in mismatched plates and chairs, a big family table, breeze-beckoning French doors, and, generally speaking, what designer Jason Volenec is calling his “ghetto hodgepodge” aesthetic—kind of Alphabet City yard sale meets the Buena Vista Social Club. Consulting chef Jason Neroni’s menu is a bit of a hodgepodge, too, covering a range of Pan-Latino small plates, from a daily changing tortilla de España to empanadas to braised chicken thighs with black beans and rice. There’s even a nod to the late, great Latin-inflected Clinton Street restaurant aKa Cafe, in the form of a lamb’s-tongue-and-almond-butter sandwich, this time around served with membrillo on ciabatta. — Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite

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• Restaurant Openings: Cantina, Matilda, and Bun (10/15/07)