Wandering downtown Bozeman, it is easy to find a burger, pizza, bistro and pub fare, and even authentic Mexican and Mediterranean, but you might not expect to find a tapas bar in the middle of a remote American ski town. However, “Over The Tapas”, situated just half a block off Main Street, has got the Bozeman tapas niche covered.

Tapas, a traditional Spanish cuisine, is usually made up of an assortment of small dishes, often featuring dishes of potatoes, fried plantains, cod, and many other Spanish regional foods. Recently tapas has become popular in America and worldwide, and Tapas restaurants have sprung up over the country. Tapas makes for a fun and different dining experience, as you munch and taste from various dishes.

When you step off the street into the cozy restaurant, it may take your eyes a few seconds to adjust – the lighting is dim, but just right for a relaxing evening of food and wine. Your server will get you started with a glass of wine from the wine list, which features Spanish and South American wines, or a beer, local or otherwise. Or try the Sangria – always a tasty and refreshing choice. Once you have decided on drinks, your attention will turn to the menu. Recently updated, the menu offers traditional tapas dishes, such as patatas bravas (crispy fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce) and roasted plantains, as well as American influenced dishes, such as lamb sliders and butternut squash ravioli. My eye roved over the list of delicious looking bites … decisions, decisions.

It can take time to peruse the menu, and it is tough to make a decision, but thankfully, since tapas are traditionally small plates, each diner can order several. The fine staff at Over The Tapas recommends starting with two dishes per diner and ordering more later, if there are cracks to fill. Accordingly, my dining companion and I ordered four plates to begin with, and shared the bounty between the two of us.

Wavering indecision begone! We chose, abided by our choices, and fervently anticipated their arrival. Out first came the Patatas Bravas, this version of which was tasty and prepared in classic tapas style. The crispy potatoes were served, as is tradition, in a creamy and slightly spicy tomato sauce. While we were still munching on these, our second dish came out – the Lamb Sliders. Sliders can be found in any sports bar in the country, but these were not your traditional greasy mini burgers, sopped in ketchup. These were tender, delectably seasoned, and topped with sauteed onion and manchego cheese. Gourmet munchies if ever there were.

Next to arrive was the lavender glazed salmon, the fish special of the night, and the goat cheese risotto. Both were inspired flavor ideas, though the food itself paled in comparison to what came both before and after. The salmon was tough, and the risotto – notoriously tricky to achieve the right texture – was on the verge of mushy.

However, cracks there were, and I had every intention of filling them with fantastic bits, bites, and flavors. Throughout the evening I had watched a stream of delicious looking mouthfuls parade past my seat at the bar making their way to various tables. Now that we were finished with our own mini edible parade, I ordered one more morsel that had captured my envy and attention as it went sailing past. The goat cheese croquettes did not let me down. Tiny golden orbs of crackling and crispy crust covering a smooth and mild filling of local Amaltheia Dairy goat cheese were just the thing.

Now, for dessert. There were several options, all of which were tempting. The couple seated next to us at the bar were not so secretly enjoying a trio of creme brulees (was that a lavender brulee?), and emphatically and enthusiastically insisting that we opt for those as well. Tempted, but having already made up our minds, we placed our order for the Key Lime Tart and after dinner coffee. We were rewarded for our decision. The tart was delectable and sweet, but not overbearingly so. Topped with real, freshly whipped cream and tart lime drizzle, it was the perfect size to share between two people after a full meal. Many key lime desserts can be overpoweringly sweet, as if they were trying to compensate for the tart zing of the lime. This is unnecessary, as the lime juices are both sugary and tart, and need only a little extra sweetener to turn their flavor into something worth burying a sweet tooth in. The folks at Over The Tapas know how to balance sweet and sour, and dessert just may have been one of my favorite parts of the meal. For a savory toothed gal such as myself, this awakening of my long dormant sweet tooth is quite a feat.

The full dinner experience is one that I highly recommend, but tapas are great for a light lunch, or an afternoon snack … The lunch menu is similar to dinner, but offers a wider selection of small meat and cheese based bites, as well as sandwiches, fish and chips, and tacos.

From traditional Spanish empanadas and paellas to a grilled local Montana steak salad, Over The Tapas offers a dining experience that crosses geographic boundaries. Whether you’re looking for a quick chat and snack with an old friend, or an endless stream of savory bites to appease a voracious appetite, Over The Tapas has got you covered. And whatever you do, don’t leave without dessert!

A Bozeman native, Chelsea Hunt has witnessed an explosion of good food in the valley in recent years. Reading about, writing about, and eating good food make her happy.