five small plate dishes served on a circular table - Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Tiny plates can cause big confusion, so we'll get right to the point -- tapas are not the same thing as appetizers.

After too many years of all-you-can-eat buffets, comfort foods, and huge portions in à la carte restaurants, Miami, meet the new gimmick in town: tapas — what you and I already know as Spanish ...

Years ago on a trip to visit friends in Spain, I experienced the tradition of tapas for the first time. Sitting at an old oak bar in Granada, we ordered small glasses of the house sherry. With it came ...