A Spiffed Up Cubana Cafe Should Return to Smith Street Next Week

OG member of the Smith Street dining scene Cubana Cafe will make its official return sometime next week, says a staffer at the Flatbush Avenue location. The restaurant went dark abruptly this spring without any explanation, as several other restaurants on Smith Street have done in recent months, causing neighbors to worry that the space would simply become yet another empty lot. Newspaper is covering up the windows, but a peek inside reveals that the space is intact and has been spiffed up — though there's still some cleaning to do. A sign outside promises that the restaurant will serve the same food, plus an "American brunch with Latin flavor." Hopefully, the little al fresco porch set up the restaurant was known for will return too.