Jaleo proves that tapas are tasty

Before you even walk through the doors of Jaleo, prepare to fall in love with every nuance of the downtown Bethesda tapas restaurant. The site is everything that its sibling downtown D.C. location couldn't be - a breezy, wide-open restaurant that resembles true central Spanish architecture.

The artsy, vibrant, Spanish decor of the restaurant perfectly complements the vast menu of almost seventy tapas dishes. Tapas are tiny platters of appetizer-sized food, and are meant to be shared around the table. The tapas are divided into three categories - cold, temperate, and hot. The silent, professional service will bring them out in phases, from cold to warm, as the meal progresses. A party of five could easily order a meal of ten to thirteen tapas and still have room for dessert, as well as enough pocket change left to refill the parking meter. For Bethesda, that's saying a lot.

The most enjoyable aspect of a meal at Jaleo is the intimacy among fellow party members. Offering the proverbial "last bite" to another is an act of human decency, and in Jaleo's case it occurs all throughout the meal.

Don't be put off by the small meal sizes. If anything, it's far more satisfying than a monotonous main course kept all to one's self, like a slab of steak or a mountainous portion of spaghetti. Think of a meal of tapas as consisting of a series of appetizers. Each dish is a masterpiece, lovingly crafted by an adroit chef. On such a small plate, a chef can make every square inch of the food an expression of artistic talent.

This attention to detail makes a visit to Jaleo especially gratifying. It's impossible to order anything on the menu that won't be a pleasant surprise for diners of all tastes. Vegetarians may be especially pleased to see that the restaurant caters to their taste - well over half of the tapas are truly vegetarian - not just meat dishes modified to placate the occasional herbivore.

For instance, take the adventurous flan de berenjenas `Reno', a flan made of eggplant, subtly augmented with red pepper. This unique tapa is a must try. But then again, so are the other sixty-five.

Here's a rule for eating at Jaleo: The bolder the tapa sounds, the more enjoyable it will be to eat. Take the codorniz con pisto Manchego, a grilled quail with pisto stew. Artfully presented and grilled to a seemingly divine firmness, this succulent bird is an explosion of flavor with a lasting aftertaste that will thoroughly justify having ordered it.

The only possible exception to the rule is conejo con frutos secos, a dish of rabbit in a sauce. Rabbit in of itself is an acquired taste, and despite the perfection of the cooking and the ingenious sweet sauce of dried fruit, this tapa may not appeal to the more conventional palette.

Otherwise, expect a flawless evening unhindered by even the smallest imperfection in the food. The ambience will further soothe the senses as the sun sets behind the buildings across the street and the night truly begins. The delectable setas silvestres con crema de patatas y yema de huevo, wild mushrooms bathed in a thick sauce of creamy mashed potatoes and quesos de Espaòa, a sophisticated platter of cheeses from every region in Spain are must-tries.

The desserts department at Jaleo is not to be overlooked. While not officially considered tapas, desserts can easily be shared. The group mentality is difficult to escape.

The espuma de avellanas y chocolate, an incredible chocolate and hazelnut mousse torte is essential. This dessert will complete the meal every time. Also notable is Jaleo's take on the obligatory flan, flan al estilo de mama Marisa con espuma de crema Catalana. The flan is actually rather original and supremely delicious, with a side of Catalan cream and oranges; a bite that includes all three elements is pure euphoria.

The immense amount of possible combinations of tapas at Jaleo encourages multiple visits. Be assured that the dining experience will be different each time, but that the bill will always be low. However, bring plenty of change anyway; those Bethesda parking meters are demanding.