Over the tapas

So last night Marcia had gotten to the restaurant before I did and she was at the bar and there was an empty seat next to her and then two gentlemen seated together. I sat in the empty seat. Shortly thereafter, the man to my right passed us a plate of Moroccan olives for us to try. We laughed a little because it became instantly obvious that he probably wasn't just a patron of the restaurant - as it would be little odd for another group of diners to just pass a plate over to share their food, right? So it turns out he's the owner. And the Moroccan olives are great, although I realize that's lost on you.

When we decide to move to a table we strike up another quick conversation with him to ask what we should order - his recommendations, you know? About seven seconds after arriving at our table, a plate of paella arrives, complements of the owner. Very nice. Our server was also very attentive and fun to talk to - knowledgeable about ingredients and the way things were prepared. Plates were cleared promptly, water refilled, whole nine yards. The interior decor was great, BTW. Very cozy. So then we are contemplating what to order - and we have a Living Social voucher - so we want to make sure the things we choose are included in the offer, because it's a specific offer, not just money. But before we can order, the chef brings out another plate - chorizo and potatoes. And then another plate - crochettas. Then more plates - one of spicy shrimp, one of short ribs, one of scallops. More sangria. More food. Goat-cheese stuffed dates wrapped in some sort of cured meat. AND dessert. Not just one dessert - a sampling platter of three full sized desserts.

So this is all so very nice, everyone is nice. But there comes a time - or an amount/a quantity - at which it's TOO MUCH and starts to get weird. Perhaps you would have come to this conclusion somewhere around complimentary dish #3, which we did too actually - but there was just no stopping it. The unfortunate consequence of their excessive generosity is that while all the plates were individually good, after eating it ALL (seriously, I have no limit), you are left with a very disgusted feeling.  I'm STILL disgusted. I'm not sure I can go back. Not because their hospitality wasn't much appreciated. But because I am not sure when I will feel that I can eat any of their food again.