Small plates at Ocho in Ballard are some of the Seattle Kitchen staff’s favorites. (Image: Ocho)

The small plate before a meal goes by many names, appetizer, Hors d’oeuvre, amuse-bouche, tapas. Being fans of lots of tastes, the Seattle Kitchen staff are fans of the evolving small-plate options that offer diners more affordable means to get a broad sampling.

“I go into a restaurant I order 10 different things. I’m definitely into making it as small as possible, because I don’t want to waste all that food. I want to try and eat it all,” says Seattle Kitchen host Theirry Rautureau. “That’s why I’m so attracted by those smaller sizes.”

Rautureau explains that tapas originated in Spain to accompany Sherry before a meal.

“You need something to eat. Otherwise you’re going to be dizzy by the time you get to the table,” says Rautureau. “The idea behind the tapas is just fill up a little bit with something very delicious.”

Chef Tom Douglas is also a fan of tapas, sharing some food history with the audience.

“According to “The Joy of Cooking,” the original tapas were just slices of bread with a little meat to go with Sherry,” says co-host Tom Douglas.

The concept of tapas has expanded over the years, says Douglas.

“It was Spanish driven for awhile, and then places like Lark opened, which were just doing specialized dishes on small plates,” says Douglas. “Now you can kind of see it on menus as an option, small plates and then large plates.”

When searching for good tapas in the Seattle area, the Seattle Kitchen staff says these places do it best: Ocho in Ballard, Harvest Vine in Madison Valley, The Sitting Room on Queen Anne, Oliver’s Twist on Greenwood Ave, and Pintxo in Belltown.

The staff also recommends including a few classic tapas dishes in your assortment.

“For me, I love getting those nice carmelized chorizo,” says Douglas. “It’s so fantastic.”

Rautureau recommends trying the Padron Chiles at Harvest Vine. Locally grown chiles are in season in July and August.

“You do eight of them, and the ninth one just blows your mouth,” says Rautureau.

He also says to make sure to not miss the octopus.

“I just love that,” adds Rautureau.

Listen to the Seattle Kitchen conversation on tapas:

Seattle Kitchen can be heard on 97.3 KIRO FM Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Available anytime ON DEMAND at MyNorthwest.com.

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor