Near the beach, a bit of Spain

Tell me, what food-loving traveler can visit San Sebastian in the Spanish Basque country and not fall head over heels for pintxos (pronounced "peenchos"), the local version of tapas? It happened to me. It's happened to countless other foodies discovering Basque cuisine for the first time. And it happened to Joe Miller, chef-owner of Joe's Restaurant in Venice and now of Bar Pintxo in Santa Monica too.

Slip into one of the more than 50 tapas bars lining the twisting, narrow streets of San Sebastian's old town, order a glass of Txakolina wine, try one or more of the house specialties and then move on to the next bar for its specialties. When it gets too crowded at the bar, people move out into the street, leaning against the building, setting their glasses on a ledge, calling out to friends and meeting new ones. I highly recommend it.

Struck by the tradition there and elsewhere in Spain, Miller wanted to bring that experience home to Southern California. Looking for something modest and small enough for a real tapas bar, he turned up a long, skinny storefront on Santa Monica Boulevard, a couple of doors up from Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Bar Pintxo opened in December, with just 30 seats, a handful at the bar and the rest at little tables in the back.

Over the years, a number of local chefs have attempted some form of tapas. Hollywood's Meson G (where Red Pearl Kitchen is now) took a dive on the concept. And Bodega de Cordova in L.A. closed recently too. One was too ambitious, the other perhaps too limited. Tapas is basically grazing, right? So you'd think it would fit right in with our laid-back lifestyles. Yet, from the way the servers at Bar Pintxo feel the need to explain the idea -- and from the letters I've received from puzzled or infuriated readers who have been to Bar Pintxo -- something is not getting across. That may be because most other tapas places have interpreted the idea to mean small plates.

So remember, No. 1: You go for tapas before or after dinner. You go to have a glass of wine or sangria and a bite or two with friends. At most, it's a light meal.

No. 2: Tapas are more or less single portions. Platos (plates) are slightly bigger, better for sharing.