Yes, many of us adore Cesar, groove at rnm, nibble at grasshopper, get sloshed at Cortez, and Connie has been trying to get Anne and I out to B44 for some time. But at what point will small plates -- tapas et al. -- become a big-time cliche?
If you're trying to mount an effective prosecution we have reached that point now, that small plates have Jumped the Shark, here is Exhibit A for your gallery of evidence: A press release from one Chevy's, Inc. announcing the introduction of "New Tapas-style Fresh Mex 'small plates' with big bold flavors."
Of course, maybe this is the democratization of tapas. Cesar can be pretty pricey. And I'm not saying Chevy's is a bad company (except in the financial sense -- they declared bankruptcy late last year). Plus, who doesn't like empanadas?
By the way, here's a great article that completely justifies my lavish restaurant dinners with friends, in which I spend money others might put toward long term financial investment, like mortgage payments or mutual funds. :-)
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