Recently we have seen a rise, if not an explosion, in the prevalence and popularity of tapas restaurants. Tapas as a style of food that originated in Spain, where thirsty folks would eschew a regular four-course dinner for barhopping. Often, savory Mediterranean mini-dishes would be included in the price of a drink, just like some American bars used to offer "free lunches" or complimentary nuts and pretzels.
The culture thus emerged where people would go on "tapas crawls" to different bars and cafés, eventually filling up on the diverse little snacks that would be provided.
Tapas in the United States are more commonly served in a conventional restaurant, usually with patrons selecting numerous different dishes composing a full-size meal. Though the ambulatory aspect of the food is somewhat reduced in this occasion, the drinking and general revelry is preserved, to an extent.
Domestic tapas restaurants tend to exude night-lifey atmospheres -- dimly lit, glamorous and celebratory. Some locations are very affordable, but most of them have gourmet aspirations and thus steeper prices. The fact that individual dishes are so relatively inexpensive encourages experimentation and snacking without an unreasonable price for a Hopkins student.
There are certain advantages to the style. Having such small portions allows both the chef and the patron to experiment. Diners are presented with a multi-cultural plethora of different dishes, ranging from hot stews to cold seafood salads to even simple bruschetta. Sharing is encouraged, and even unadventurous diners will be able to sample various styles of food in various forms.
The chef gets to diversify and intensify his or her art. Each dish can become a singular expression -- a new canvas on which to paint. The chef gets to try new, bold ideas without too much of a risk.
The small portions allow the diner to more accurately suit his desire without investment in a full size entrée. Diners are usually encouraged to meander, take their time and stay as long as they please, drinking and sampling.
The result is a boisterous atmosphere that is both relaxing and lively -- attractive and perfect for anyone with a little money to spend.
My complaints with the style are for the same reasons I praise it -- the smaller scale. Granted, smaller-sized portions allow more variety and choice. However, the chef need only think about the initial moments of a dish's consumption instead of how it will last over the meal's duration. A large entrée is like a long-term relationship. The diner gets to know every nuance of the dish, and the dish must continue to entertain even after a few bites.
Tapas focus on shock and awe -- the dish for the information age, quick and powerful. A good tapas restaurant can dazzle a patron with intense flavors from various cultures in just a few minutes. However, notions of balance in food give way to flavor intensities.
Some part of me believes that an artist's discipline is his most defining characteristic. Tapas are a style that relies rather on wildness and creativity, which appears somewhat more as a novelty than an enduring style.
Rather than flirting with food, sometimes it is best to become engaged to it. For this reason, a traditional French or Italian restaurant will always be popular. If tapas are a short story, then a full-size entrée is like a novel.
Luckily for the food experimentalists, tapas exist as a trendy platform for chefs to branch out and restaurants to become more atmospherically interesting. With the tapas wave hitting Baltimore, classy small dishes can now fit your budget close to home.
