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 in Two Great Cuban cookbooks: