by Frank Sabatini Jr.

Apertivo
3926 30th St.
619-297-7799
The tapas at Apertivo in North Park take on a decidedly Italian slant using fresh pasta, high-quality meats, fresh veggies and brightly flavored sauces. Meal portions are sized above average with few exceeding $8 apiece. Some of the recipes originate from owner Ken Cassinelli’s grandmother, such as spinach-ricotta ravioli using divinely thin sheets of egg pasta for the casings. The menu extends to baked eggplant rollotini, lamb osso buco, chicken piccata and dozens more. In addition, wine lovers will revel in the restaurant’s choice of local and Italian labels, with nearly 60 of them available by the glass.

Bite
1417 University Ave.
619-299-2483
Chef Chris Walsh introduced San Diegans to contemporary-style tapas back in the 90s when he operated the former Café W. At Bite, he gives us a modernly designed space in the heart of Hillcrest, presenting expertly constructed small dishes from four menu categories: “field,” “ocean,” “farm” and “sweets.” His signature duck liver pate encasing dried cherries and pistachios is particularly noteworthy, as is the grilled the Japanese eggplant fanned alongside roasted spring beets. With nearly 40 items to choose from, the food is seasonally fresh and bites lovingly into your pleasure zones.

Costa Brava
1653 Garnet Ave.
858-273-1218
Boldly flavored tapas combined with an ambitious wine list touting more than 150 Spanish varietals is your passport to the Old Country, via Costa Brava in Pacific Beach. The menu includes dozens of hot and cold small-plate selections capturing the culinary traditions of Spain, served in a chic-rustic atmosphere boasting lavish hardwood flooring and French doors that open to the front patio. Favorite nibbles include dates wrapped in bacon, artichokes with imported serrano ham, zippy chorizo sausage and patatas a la brava, and soft potatoes kissed by spicy Spanish peppers.

CH1VE
558 Fourth Ave.
619-232-4483
When CH1VE radically revised its menu more than a year ago, a litany of exceptional small plates moved to the forefront, allowing customers to sample such creations as asian-style sweetbreads, lobster sliders, ginger-mushroom ravioli and the highly recommended Kurobuta pork loin with Fuji apples. The restaurant’s atmosphere is sleek and industrial with a hefty list of crafty libations catering to downtown nightcrawlers.

Tapas Picasso Restaurante
3923 Fourth Ave.
619-294-3061
Modern twists are given to classic Spanish tapas at Tapas Picasso Restaurante, where you’ll savor such items as spicy lamb strips, snails in butter sauce, albacore mousse pate, turkey meatballs in chorizo sauce and artichoke bottoms stuffed with shrimp and cured ham. Consistently wonderful is the Spanish potato omelet with paprika-spiked chorizo as well as feisty habanero shrimp served over linguini. The burn is easily quelled by a long guzzle of house-made sangria, available by the glass or pitcher. Service is casual and the atmosphere is quaint and colorful.