If Americans and Brits liked to share small portions of food this pesky trend for little plates wouldn't be a problem. But we don't and so it is.

There's no better word to describe a passing fascination than "fad."  It sounds exactly like what it is: short and kind of lame. Like pet rocks, slap bracelets, and troll dolls, fads in restaurants come and go quickly and, more often than not, there's a "What where we thinking?" vibe once they're gone. In the mid-to-late 90s, every restaurant I went to seemed to have wasabi mashed potatoes on the menu–whether or not it fit in with the food they were serving  (The Foodist noticed too).  "Would the gentleman like a side of wasabi mashed potatoes with his paella?"  "No.  No I would not.  Also, I'm 12.  Why are you calling me 'the gentleman?" These days, food trends are fast and furious. Fusion tacos are huge. Mixology had its moment. But small plates are still everywhere, and that's one trend I'd like to stop right in its tiny-portioned tracks.