This plucky little entourage of finger foods is about to debut on the menu at La Casa del Mojito, the cheery Caribbean restaurant with outposts on both Lake City Way and University Way.

To make Las Panas ($7.95), which means "the buddies," plantains are chopped, fried and then formed into crisp little cups. The cups are filled with a variety of delectables: sautéed vegetables with a sweet jalapeño glaze, black beans with jerk seasoning, tender and tangy ceviche, and a miniature-sized portion of their divine Camarones Miranda -- prawns deglazed with cachaça (a sugar cane spirit) and tossed with mango, pineapple and jalapeño glaze.

Spice it up with a side of the housemade CDM habanero sauce, cool it down with one of their famous mojitos, and you'll find yourself making new friends, too. 

Where do you get Caribbean food? E-mail cellerd@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company