Small plates, bold flavors define Oak Brook's El Tapeo

Diamond earrings wrapped in a light blue box. A trio of hand-rolled truffles set in gold foil. A marcona almond tucked into a soft, bacon-enrobed date. Yes, good things do come in small packages. And at El Tapeo in Oak Brook they come on small plates as well.

Like those dates. Now, I've eaten bacon-wrapped dates at plenty of Spanish tapas restaurants, but the roasted marcona almond brought a wonderful texture to this traditional offering and is just one of the ways El Tapeo stands out.

The restaurant on the ninth floor of luxury Le Meridien hotel (formerly the Renaissance) on the east side of Oakbrook Center opened in August. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the casually refined dining room and sleek lounge. This restaurant is in a hotel, after all, so besides the chairs and couches for relaxed conversation, there's a 12-seat bar with a couple of TVs where guests enjoy appetizers, cocktails and catch the game or the news of the day. On Fridays and Saturdays, musicians provide the evening's soundtrack without drowning out dinner conversations.

Chef Franco Diaz puts a contemporary twist on traditional Spanish tapas, the dining experience of sharing several smaller-portioned dishes instead of diners ordering their own entrees. The menu categorizes dishes by tapas, meat and cheese plates (also shareable), soup and salads (that they gladly divide for sharing), American entree-sized fish and meats and side dishes (again, suitable for sharing).

Our waitress explained the menu (in depth, as one of the diners in my party didn't have her reading glasses and the hostess stand was without its loaner pair. Who knew some restaurants keep reading glasses on hand?) and helped us decide how the meal should progress. Two large glasses of sangria — one a sweetish red, the other a delightful tropical-leaning white — started us off and lasted through the meal.

On the food side, the roasted butternut bisque came out first and set the bar high. Bits of serrano ham floated atop the foamy soup that looked deceptively thick and was pleasantly light and silky going down. Red wine-poached pear slices with baby spinach, frisee, radish slices, blue cheese and toasted marcona almonds comprised the salad. Working all components onto one forkful made me happy all the way down to my toes. Marcona almonds showed up again with the roasted beets (from the sides menu) flavored with a peppery, cinnamony spice blend. The crunch of the nuts and beets and the soft goat cheese almost too closely matched the pear salad (sometimes I don't think the menu all the way through); perhaps the sauteed wild mushrooms or potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce would have been a more contrasting choice.

Instead of ham (jamon) and cheese croquetas, Diaz dazzles diners with chicken confit encrusted in a crisp, light breading. Dipping the fritters into the accompanying sweet, creamy piquillo pepper aioli is like a grown-up version of eating chicken nuggets and ketchup.

With so many tapas to choose from — potato and onion tortilla with romanesco and creme fraiche and ground lamb and bacon meatballs in sherry-spiked tomato sauce were particularly tempting — we rolled the dice on the blistered shishito peppers. One in 10 peppers crosses the line from sweet to hot, the waitress warned us. We must have had only nine on our plate because none left us downing our sangria. The charred sweet peppers tasted fresh off the flames and were as delicious on their own as they were dipped in the croquetas sauce. If you desire more heat, pop one of the sliced red chili garnishes in your mouth.

Shaved serrano, Iberico ham, locally made salumi and aged manchego from the meat and cheese section of the menu must wait for my next visit as the grilled pork entree captured by eye. Thin planks of grilled marinated pork (more flank steak than chop) came with a smear of pickled Granny Smith apple purée that was as tart and delicious as it was artistically presented. Seafood paella, monkfish wrapped in serrano ham and grilled lamb chops are among the other choices.

Desserts are listed on a separate menu — ask for it early if you want to plan ahead. You'll want to complete the feast with a few nibbles of something sweet. In our case, we nearly licked the plate clean of any trace of panna cotta. The dessert puzzled my palate at first: rosemary (not noted on the menu) flecked the foccocia-like cake that accompanied the coconut custard and was on the verge of overpowering. Yet, with each bite the flavors moved more into tune.

For a harmonious dining experience, you can't do much better than El Tapeo.

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not review restaurants it cannot recommend.

El Tapeo

2100 Spring Road, Oak Brook at Le Meridien Chicago, (630) 828-2044, <a href="http://www.eltapeorestaurant.com/">eltapeorestaurant.com</a>

<b>Cuisine:</b> Tapas with a twist

<b>Setting:</b> European-style decor and dramatic wraparound windows

<b>Small plates:</b> $5 to $35; entrees: $26 to $48

<b>Hours:</b> 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; bar (with limited menu) open until 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday.