Raúl: Everybody is serving tapas these days -- even some restaurants that aren't even the least bit Latin.

Glenn: The Three Guys From Miami have even included a few tapas recipes in our new Cuban cookbook -- so we guess we're just as guilty of being trendy as everyone else these days.

Raúl: Although tapas dishes have invaded the United States from Spain, where they originated, there has been something lost in the translation.

Jorge: In Madrid, tapas plates are basically bar food. You usually get a small serving for the price of a glass of wine.

Raúl: When they do charge extra for the plates, you can count on spending only a Euro or two -- less than $3.

Jorge: So although we are enjoying the spreading popularity of great Spanish food, we do think longingly of Madrid and the excellent food that can be had so cheaply.

Glenn: Much of the United States tapas trend is an off-shoot of Nuevo Latino cuisine. It's basically a lot of improvisation and rifting on certain themes in the kitchen.

Glenn: We guess an argument could be made that most American tapas dishes aren't even Spanish! One New Mexico chef we know typically creates three or four new tapas dishes a week at his restaurant.

Jorge: Another thing about tapas is that in most restaurants, the plates are sized so that two people can split a plate and still get a decent sized taste of the dish.

Raúl: For dinner, two people are going to go through six to eight plates. So an evening for two is going to be pricy.

Glenn: With four people, you can get even more tastes, although the size of each taste is going to be smaller.

Jorge: So for large groups, six or more -- it's probably better to double up on the orders so that everyone gets a nice sample!

Glenn: In an area with virtually no Cuban food, it's refreshing to see that the Twin Cities features two excellent tapas restaurants.

Jorge: Yes, when you get hungry for tapas in the Twin Cities, you have two choices: you can go upscale and trendy, or uptown and funky.

Glenn: For upscale and trendy, you can't beat Solera. It's a beautiful restaurant in a great location on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis' Theater District.

Jorge: Solera looks like it was airlifted from West Hollywood. You get a lot of warm woods, earth tones, tile, mosaics, and a bar area that combines all this with some futuristic looking touches -- check out the crazy bar stools that will give you a ringside seat at the grill!

Glenn: The ingredients are all top notch. The scallops taste like they were harvested this morning. Beef tastes like the best hand massaged Kobe beef. Spanish chorizo is real, high-quality chorizo from Spain.

Jorge: The menu features a hot side and a cold side and we like to order from each side with reckless abandon.

Jorge: If you love olives, as we do, you'll want to try the Spanish olives in cava vinegar, a great way to perk up your palate.

Glenn: They serve real Serrano ham here. A whole ham in the United States can run as high as $600, so this is a delicacy. The plate featuring Serrano ham, honey, and Manchego cheese is a great combination.

Glenn: Aged Manchego is typically grated. The short-aged varieties are great for snacking and melting.

Jorge: We also liked the artichoke and spinach tortilla (Spanish omelet) served cold with a tasty Romesco sauce, rich with garlic and chopped almonds.

Raúl: The deviled eggs with blue crab meat and cumin, also cold, are excellent.

Jorge: You also can't go wrong with the selection of grilled Spanish and Portuguese sausages.

Raúl: If you like chorizo like we do, this is a great plate!

Glenn: If you like beef, the spicy beef tenderloin grilled with mojo picon is a melt-in-your-mouth strip of tender beef.

Raúl: OK, let's move uptown!

Jorge: If aren't familiar with Minneapolis and St. Paul, you should know that Minneapolis has always been very progressive and St. Paul a little more conservative and traditional.

Glenn: The result is that where St. Paul preserved a lot of its historical areas, Minneapolis had a tendency to bring in the bulldozers.

Jorge: So neighborhoods like Lyn-Lake -- Lyndale and Lake Street -- and Uptown (the area around Hennepin and Lake Street -- are cherished for their natural character and charm.

Raúl: You just can't engineer and build areas like this.

Glenn: Both Lyn-Lake and Uptown have become great restaurant and entertainment areas in the Twin Cities.

Raúl: Some of the best ethnic restaurants are located here!

Glenn: La Bodega Tapas Bar is no exception. The little restaurant that shares the corner of Lake and Lyndale with its sister restaurant is a perfect place to go for an evening out.

Raúl: It's perfect -- a glass of sangria, several plates of tapas and an evening of great conversation.

Glenn: The atmosphere includes wood floors, seemingly ancient tables, and a bar with Spanish tile.

Jorge: Depending on when you come, you'll also be treated to flamenco dancing and music.

Glenn: This adds to the entertainment level, but makes conversation impossible.

Jorge: We prefer that the kitchen would pace the dishes so that we could enjoy them at our leisure.

Glenn: What we did get -- en masse -- was all very good.

Jorge: Standouts here include a very good tortilla Española with chorizo, mushrooms marinera stuffed with crabmeat, and chorizo with polenta.

Glenn: They have the tapas classic, camarones al ajillo -- grilled garlic shrimp.

Raúl: The potato and cheese croquetas are also pretty tasty, fried crisp but not greasy.

Jorge: The plates are a bit cheaper at La Bodega and the portions are heartier.

Glenn: However, both restaurants could benefit from some sort of a checklist that would allow diners to keep a scorecard of what they want to eat. With so many items and the need to order several different plates, it's hard to keep track of everything!

We Show You How: