Small Small Small

Guess small is the new big because all the food has shrunken into tapas size “tastes” and it’s a good thing too. Went over to Minnie’s on Halsted and Armitage , newish place~something between a retro soda fountain for adults (long brightly lit bar in front, hey, when you can choose between a chocolate malted or a dessert cocktail, how could that be a bad thing?) and in back an area where you can enjoy cocktail size sandwiches which come in hip little paper almost bento box style carry out containers. Depending on the time of day you visit, you might run into a room full of Mom’s with strollers and after school high energy kids, or adults soothing the child inside with a mini cheeseburger, BBQ pulled pork or mini/Minnie Turkey Cranberry Sandwich. Chocolate Chip Mint cookies in a bowl with ice cream~de rigeur.

Next is dessert~

Café BaBaReeba, a bit farther up on Halsted north of Armitage, has extended their tapas offerings with small dessert plates of yummy flan, chocolate cake with tres leches, and ice cream with caramel and grilled bananas to name a few.

While it might be near impossible to find a Barcelona tapas bar offering sweets, those of us who throw the search for authenticity out the window when a plate of good tasting stuff appears, will dig right in… that group of happy eaters will be joined by those of us on a diet who believe that lots of small things add up to less calories then one large entrée and dessert (and who hasn’t pondered that one?)

“Small Plates” to tame the appetite and desire for the maximum amount of different tastes in the smallest number and size of bites are showing up on our catering menus more and more… But that’s a whole other food story..to be continued…