Don't miss the inspired version of Bananas Foster, with soaked cake, homemade vanilla ice cream and a butterscotch sauce. Be sure to make reservations for weekend dining. International 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Another virtue is the presence of excellent Italian reds in half-bottles. With its richly polished antique bar, period lighting, and full house of serious eaters, you're bound to have a good time.
Main courses are less predictably excellent, but the fish tacos and cioppino are first-rate.
Be sure to check out the new breakfast menu. International 2411 SE Belmont St., 232-4458. A new restaurant with an old-world taste, Pambiche offers a sampling of what Cuban cuisine once was and could be. Pambiche's desserts rival any in town, ranging from rum-soaked banana cake to lemony rice pudding. Cuban 2811 NE Glisan St., 233-0511.