Escape this crummy weather with these Dominican flavors!

Get an authentic taste of the Caribbean

Detroit – For Astiage Acosta and his family, cooking is more than just a job, it’s their passion!

“We all love cooking, it’s in our hearts,” said Acosta, better known as Asty.

Inspired to cook at a young age by his parents, Asty continued to hone his craft over the years. After leaving the Dominican Republic to come to America with his family, he needed to make some extra money, so he fell back on what he loved to do. According to Asty, he came home one day with two bags full of chicken and told his wife, “we’re going to cook.” They opened their own catering business and it took off. Soon it was too big for them to continue cooking out of their home. Asty started looking for a restaurant and a friend showed him 7340 McGraw Avenue on Detroit’s west side. So he and his family opened up Asty Time.

They serve traditional Dominican food made from family recipes. As he put it, it is a combination of foods from him, his wife, his sister, and his mother.

“I went to Henry Ford. I (got) my degree and even though I went to school she [his mother] said ‘you don’t know nothing, I’m the chef,’” joked Asty. " Thanks to her, because she was the one who encouraged me to the culinary arts."

Popular dishes include mofongo, smashed fried plantains typically mixed with pork belly chicken broth and garlic. They also make a whole fried red snapper served with tostones, and la bandera, a beef stew served with rice and beans.

If you want to try out Asty Time, they are located at 7340 McGraw Avenue on Detroit’s west side and are open 11:30 a.m. -7 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday.