Tapas

 Someone wrote:
 >Please excuse the ignorance, but what is a "tapas?"

 Very tasty Spanish appetizers (or a full meal, really) they traditionally
 serve with wine.  You choose a bunch of small dishes to nibble on.  Lots
 of fish in marinades, sausages, cheeses, pickled this and that, etc.

 While most Spanish restaurants serve a few choices, you really have to go
 to a "tapas bar" for a full selection (though when you mention that you
 are going to a tapas bar, people think you're talking about the Hollywood
 Tropicana or Hooters).  There's a popular one in Long Beach on Pine
 ("Allegria"?) if you're interested and there used to be a pretty fun one
 in the Gaslamp district in San Diego ("Barcelona"?) if you are ever down
 that way.  There was a OK one on Pico in West L.A. until the two co-owners
 decided to take each other out in a blaze of gunfire over declining
 profits.  Too bad that level of fiery emotion never made its way into the
 food; they might still alive today if it had.

 Nick