
Raúl Musibay: Everybody is serving tapas these days -- even some restaurants that aren't even the least bit Latin.
Glenn Lindgren: 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 Musibay: Although tapas dishes have invaded the United States from Spain, where they originated, there has been something lost in the translation.
Jorge Castillo: In Madrid, tapas plates are basically bar food. You usually get a small serving for the price of a glass of wine.
Raúl Musibay: When they do charge extra for the plates, you can count on spending only a Euro or two -- less than $3.

Jorge Castillo: 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 Lindgren: 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 Lindgren: 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 Castillo: 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 Musibay: For dinner, two people are going to go through six to eight plates. So an evening for two is going to be pricy.
Glenn Lindgren: With four people, you can get even more tastes, although the size of each taste is going to be smaller.


Jorge Castillo: 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 Lindgren: In an area with virtually no Cuban food, it's refreshing to see that the Twin Cities features two excellent tapas restaurants.
Jorge Castillo: 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 Lindgren: 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 Castillo: 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 Lindgren: 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 Castillo: The menu features a hot side and a cold side and we like to order from each side with reckless abandon.

Jorge Castillo: 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 Lindgren: 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 Lindgren: Aged Manchego is typically grated. The short-aged varieties are great for snacking and melting.
Jorge Castillo: We also liked the artichoke and spinach tortilla (Spanish omelet) served cold with a tasty Romesco sauce, rich with garlic and chopped almonds.
Raúl Musibay: The deviled eggs with blue crab meat and cumin, also cold, are excellent.
Jorge Castillo: You also can't go wrong with the selection of grilled Spanish and Portuguese sausages.
Raúl Musibay: If you like chorizo like we do, this is a great plate!
Glenn Lindgren: If you like beef, the spicy beef tenderloin grilled with mojo picon is a melt-in-your-mouth strip of tender beef.
Jorge Castillo: Solera 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!

HOURS: Dinner: Sunday through Thursday 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM | Friday and Saturday, 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM | Tapas Bar: Monday through Thursday 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM | Friday 4:00 PM to 2:00 AM | Saturday 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM | Sunday 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
PRICES: Tapas plates average about $6.00 to $8.50 -- allow two or three plates per person
DRESS: Upscale and a little dressy.
CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diner's Club
Bar: Full.

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