When the tapas restaurant La Tasca opens later this year in Harborplace, it will be the newest example of a trend that's been around long enough to be no longer a fad. As traditional restaurant entrees have gotten larger and more expensive, people have turned to these small plates -- more than an appetizer, less than a main course -- as an alternative.
What's more, some of the best cuisine in the city is coming out of tapas-bar kitchens.
Although, strictly speaking, tapas are Spanish, any small serving that goes well with a glass of wine will do. You'll find that many area eating places have added tapas -- under one name or another -- to their offerings. In fact, one of Baltimore's premier restaurants, Charleston, has just changed its menu to a prix fixe composed of multiple tiny courses.
Here are 10 places where the plates are small but the pleasure is large. Be careful, though. It's easy to run up the bill as you order yet another dish of these delicious tidbits.
Iron Bridge Wine Co.
10435 Route 108, Columbia, 410-997-3456
If the Iron Bridge were just a wine bar with munchies, it would be worth a visit. But the munchies turn out to be world-class, California-style small plates with Pacific Rim and Mediterranean overtones. Lately the kitchen has been experimenting with Southern-accented dishes like grilled pork tenderloin with smoked gouda grits. Success has meant expansion, and as of Sept. 1, the wine bar will open its enclosed patio with 30 more seats.
Try this: The "grilled cheese," a small wheel of grilled Brie served with a blueberry compote and baguette.
Ixia
518 N. Charles St., Mount Vernon, 410-727-1800
Just having a martini here will make you feel deliciously wicked. Ixia's global fusion food is as startlingly original as the cutting-edge, theatrical decor. The small plates range from comparatively simple (beef carpaccio) to the wildly extravagant (foie gras with port and chocolate).
Try this: Surprise. No matter how trendy Ixia seems, customers love the lobster and crab mac 'n' cheese.
Joy America
800 Key Highway, Federal Hill, 410-244-6500
This full-fledged restaurant's imaginative Latino-Caribbean cuisine isn't for everyone; a good way to try it is with the small plates, which work for appetizers or late-night noshing. The dining room is chic, cool and contemporary; but when the weather is fine, the terrace is the place to be. By the way, a margarita goes very well with chef Spike Gjerde's delicious cooking.
