Phoenix will have a new destination for Caribbean and Central and South American cuisine when Little Cay opens its doors on Friday, Oct. 4. The new fast-casual restaurant will be located at4912 E. Shea Blvd. on the northeast corner of Shea Boulevard and Tatum Road in Phoenix.

Owner Ben Sinon, who previouslyhelmed the Wrigley Mansion as the general manager, says the restaurant is designed to offer a miniature getaway for diners even if the reprieve only lasts as long as your meal.

"The entire vibe is meant to feel like a day at the beach," Sinon says. "Our motto is 'call it a day.'"

Sinon says the menu at Little Cay is "intentionally broad," incorporating dishes from Cuban, Puerto Rican and Jamaican cuisine, to name a few.

"We really try to make sure we're not pigeonholed," Sinon says. "So we really tried to not be any one of the cuisines specifically."

Dishes on the Little Cay menu include:

The Original Cuban Sandiwch at Little Cay includes roasted pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles.(Photo: Debby Wolvos)

The restaurant also serves a selection of salads topped with various proteins ranging from grilled mahi mahi or slow roasted pulled pork to sauteed shrimp or slow cooked beef.

Sinon is particularly proud of the many vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options on the Little Cay menu. Side dishes include plantains cooked various ways, all of which are gluten-free options, including as tostones, mariquitas (fried plantain chips), maduros (caramelized sweet plantains) and mofongo (green plantains cooked with chicharron, garlic and olive oil).

"We do great things with plantains," Sinon says.

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Sinon says the inspiration for Little Cay came from a similar restaurant in San Diego. Called Embargo Grill, the Southern California restaurant opened six years ago and was named one of Yelp's top 100 restaurants in 2016.

Sinon partnered with Embargo Grill's owner, whom he's known for years, to bring the concept to Arizona. Metro Phoenix didn't have anything similar to Embargo Grill, Sinon says, which made it a perfect place to open a similar restaurant.

"I live here," Sinon says. "And being a foodie, I couldn't find someone else doing food the way we do."

Vegetarian options at Little Cay include Berenadas, or grilled eggplant with sweet citrus chili.(Photo: Debby Wolvos)

The restaurant will be fast-casual, meaningcustomers will be able to order at a counter, but also will have an option for full-service dining. If diners want to sit and have a server to refill waters or take drink orders, they can either seat themselves or order at the counter first.

Little Cay also will offer a full bar with Caribbean beers including Red Stripe, wine and tropical cocktails. Happy hour will include discounted drinks ranging from $3-$5 from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend drink specials will include "Buckets of Happiness," which come with five Red Stripes, White Claws or wine cans for $20.

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Opens on Friday, Oct. 4.

Details:Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.4912 E. Shea Blvd. Suite 108, Scottsdale. 480-534-4110,LittleCayAZ.com.

Reach the reporter at lauren.saria@azcentral.com. Follow her on Instagram at laurensaria, on Twitter at lhsaria and on Facebook at facebook.com/lsaria.

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Little Cay is Phoenix's new destination for Caribbean food. Here's what's on the menu - AZCentral