At one edge of the culinary experience, out past the point where you look for a great wine to go with a fine dinner, there's a place where the drink begins to grow in dominance. Go much farther and the food becomes a minor consideration -- an afterthought at most. But in that gray area, where both the food and the drink are vitally important, where they rely upon each other, comes a cuisine called "tapas".

Tapas means "little plates" in Spanish. At a time long forgotten, Spain's bartenders put saucers on top of glasses of wine to keep the flies off, as it settled from pouring. On top of the saucers came snacks -- toasted almonds, a few olives -- whatever was on hand. Competing bars, all of which served basically the same drinks, began to compete with these snacks, turning them into decorative and tasty dishes in an attempt to lure patrons from their competitors.

From Portugal all the way across the upper Mediterranean to Greece, tapas holds reign. But in Spain, the birthplace of tapas, it's a complete lifestyle of its own. Revelers in Valencia and Barcelona flow from one tapas bar to the next, sampling the foods and drinks for hours, in what they call La Movida or "the movement".

Several Providence restaurants and bars have adopted the tapas philosophy. In most, the portion sizes have grown to become roughly appetizer size, what is sometimes called "Providence tapas", in deference for the American appetite and expectations. The cuisine has also broadened to include much more than strong Spanish olives and chunks of cheese, exploring the foods of other cultures as the concept was adapted for Providence's international palate.

Providence's own version of La Movida

One Providence establishment, Bevo, which means "drink" in Italian, embodies "the movement". If you ignore the food, ignore the alcohol, and stand in the middle of their lounge on a busy night with your eyes closed, you can feel it. Energy. Excitement. A joy for living, perhaps. It swirls.

Open your eyes and you see an upscale crowd, mostly in their late 20's and 30's, thrilling to what movies promise but real bars and restaurants never seem to properly deliver -- a really great evening. Music, a little dancing perhaps, but a whole lot of human-generated vitality pulls people out of their own little groups and blends them into the greater mass of conversation and celebration.

A quiet and mellow time

On quiet evenings or at the mellow edge toward closing, Bevo's patrons relax. They lounge. Quiet conversations on soft sofas, giggly gaggles of bridesmaids around a coffee table, couples and soon-to-be-couples in shadowed corners. A few people may sit at the bar, others may stand and admire the art.

Most of the patrons think that they come for the martinis. Bevo has 80 or more kinds of martinis, in an array of combinations that boggles the mind. Mixing gin and vermouth doesn't define a martini. "Martini" describes the preparation of the drink, not its contents. Any drink can be a martini if it's liquor chilled over ice and poured "straight" from the shaker. So with that definition firmly in hand, Bevo offers Cookies 'n Cream martinis, Peach Kiss martinis, Gumdrop martinis, and scores upon scores more.

An array of tapas

But then there's the tapas. Bevo offers a menu with over 30 items. Chef Gary Michael, a Johnson and Wales graduate and veteran of the Providence fine dining arena, offers "Providence tapas", inspired from around the world, from Italian to Japanese, and much of the world between. Seared tuna, blackened on the outside. Lobster crab cakes made with lobster meat, crab, and served with a smoked corn avocado relish in a chipotle-honey aoli. Pasta made with porcini and potatoes in a parmesan cheese basket. Even remarkable pizzas like their margherita pizza, grilled and cut into bitesize squares. For dessert, patrons rave about their tiramisu -- espresso soaked ladyfingers topped with mascarpone.

To experience tapas properly, you don't really need alcohol, but you do need the

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atmosphere. Tapas says "there's something else coming, something new and exciting. Enjoy the moment and look forward to the next." Its what drives the "the movement". I've found no better place to experience that feeling than at Bevo.

Bevo is in the Waterfront District, at 586 South Main street, just south of 195 at exit 2. They are open from Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 2, 1AM on weekdays. They insist on "proper dress", which does not include blue jeans but does not require black tie, and they restrict their patrons age -- 25 plus only. Valet parking on the weekends. Their phone is 751-BEVO and website is www.bevoclub.com

(Photos courtesy of Bevo)

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