Tapas take flight, and land on Ninth Street

It's small plates. It's delicate morsels of food. It's red wine punch filled with chunks of fruit. It's Spanish. It's Tapas, and--in the world of food trendiness--it couldn't be hotter.

It's not like we haven't seen this before. The fusion craze has cemented itself as a staple of contemporary cuisine. Thai food took the Western world by storm, and the Japanese revolution has placed sushi at the zenith of high-end culinary fare. Even my father recently sampled a bite of my yellowtail sashimi; now that's progress.

Italian? Mexican? Chinese? Sure, they're still around, but if it's sophistication you crave, the newest name is Tapas.

Though their exact origin is uncertain, the Spanish imports are said to come from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia and linguistically derive their name from the slices of cheese or ham used to cover glasses of sherry in bars. Thankfully, they've undergone an impressive evolution since then, and today these "appetizers with credentials"--after a surge of popularity in the 80s--are thriving in the mainstream. Comprised of a wide variety of vegetarian and meat options (tomatoes and other Mediterranean staples are always primary), the small plates, perfectly fit for "grazing" among friends, are turning up on tables all over the nation.

And, if timing is everything, the newly opened Bakus Tapas and Wine Bar on Ninth Street stands to have a bright future. Owner Adrian Taylor, a 29 year-old transplant from Cambridge, Mass., opened the restaurant this summer; it's the first of its kind in Durham.

Taylor, whose vision for Bakus is as much philosophical as it is culinary, felt that the timing was right for his venture--that Durham was culturally ready and intellectually appropriate for the Tapas experience. " One of the basic human needs is that of nourishment," said Taylor who prides his establishment as a place for mind and body. "Tapas are a perfect conveyer for conversation, relaxation and enjoyment." Opting for a European feel, his is a restaurant that tries to merge good times, good food and good wine all late into the night in true Spanish style.

After a meal at Bakus, it seems that the final result is something far less than what his lofty ambitions envision--though his experiment is certainly not without its merits. With 36 different hot and cold tapas on the menu, one can hardly slight the place for lack of selection. We sampled a broad array of dishes--from duck with berries to salmon balls in a lemon butter to garlic chicken and fried calamari--to find a somewhat inconsistent, but not altogether poor sampling. At $28, the lukewarm paella "valenciana" was certainly the evening's greatest disappointment, but the desserts, including a fantastic fruit liqueur crepe (filloa al licor) and coconut flan, redeemed the kitchen a bit.

Tapas, of course, are nothing without a solid liter of Sangria to accompany them, and the Bakus version was a fairly standard, if watered-down, success. Taylor's own vision for drinking at Bakus revolves more around the restaurant's wine bar which offers an impressive selection of 25 largely Spanish wines by the glass. Even the martini menu had its highs--as we might expect considering the restaurant is partnered with "9," a small New York-style club two doors down.

At a time when many new restaurants are dressing down to minimalist perfection, Bakus opts for a more eclectic atmosphere--from Japanese lanterns to modern art (all for sale) to frilly pink curtains around booths. The result is a largely confusing sense of decor--though my dining companions couldn't help but find its warm colors and oddball features (candles in the fireplace?) at least a little charming. And if nude sketches three feet from your head aren't your idea of atmosphere, Bakus offers a large patio out back as well.

Ultimately, any Tapas aficionado will have his or her share of issues with Bakus, but Durham's new hot spot does at least bring a glimpse of in-style modern food to Ninth Street--and for that we can all be truly thankful.