The concept of little plates -- of tastings, of sharing, of lounging and nibbling -- is lovable. Munch is never happier than when leaning back into a cushy seat, legs crossed, brow unfurrowed, swirling luscious wine in a round goblet. This pose, plus friends, means tapas.

Is there any question that the Spanish know how to do it? Drinking, that is. The wine is headier when the food is spare.

But good tapas are hard to find. Finally Munch struck tapas gold from an unlikely lode: Casbah.

When it comes to big Burrito group, diners are opinionated. Some love their concepts. Others find the group chainy and insidious.

Take it or leave it, Munch belongs to the former group. At b.B. restaurants, you get good-to-great, interesting food and stellar libations; you know how crucial this is to booze hound Munch. And b.B. restaurants have something so many Pittsburgh eateries lack: attitude. It's their most obvious charm, and moody Munch digs that about them.

Kaya, Casbah and most certainly Eleven are treat-yourself dining experiences, too pricey for diners on a shoestring, too luxe for an everyday meal.

Or are they?

Casbah's tapas menu is geared to the frugal diner who longs for luxury -- or proximity to the finer things. This person has always liked Casbah's dim, voluptuous bar area, its curvy banquette seating. This diner enjoys eclectic wines by the glass, a daunting tally of international beers and a wisecracking bartender. This cheap-but-discriminating drinker needs a little something on the stomach to settle the wine.

And, voila! Tapas! Casbah has provided the perfect way of soaking up their ambiance and wine without straining the wallet. Nothing costs more than $3.50 on the 12-item tapas menu of cured meats, cheeses and seafood. And it's authentic stuff: shrimp Romesco, chorizo, manchego. Only a savory tortilla patate is missing from the mix.

On a drippy, gray day, Munch lured Hitchcock-Blonde-No-More FOM to Casbah. We handed our wet coats over and found a seat on the banquette.

We knew from the start that this visit was just what we needed: to step into a comfort zone, to speak closely in low voices that merge with the din, to savor wine on our tongues until our heads swim. We made a good, satisfying meal of small tastes.

The tapas arrive on tiny plates, and they cover the small tiled tables. The food on them can be polished off in a few bites, especially by two people sharing.

Our least favorite was the bruschetta ($2). FOM had serious textural difficulties with the slithery tomato slices that topped rounds of toast. Herbs and cheese weren't enough to kill the blandness; the bruschetta cried for a sprinkle of sea salt to add crunch and flavor.

That aside, everything else was delicious. We warred with our forks over every last bit, scraping the plates, and made two-handed grabs for the olives. It got competitive.

Our favorite tapa, hands down -- which Munch has tried to duplicate for lunch every day since -- was the preserved tuna, capers and potatoes ($3.50). A scoop of the piquant, briny mixture came with good chewy bread, toasted.

Every tapas spread requires a dose of cured meats and whiffy cheese, and Casbah's has a few. The little plate of Serrano ham, Cabrales and quince paste provided sweetness, saltiness and pungency ($3.50) in each bite. A small bowl piled with quality olives gave us something to gnaw from the pit ($3).

White beans and tarragon are lovely and filling. The soft beans, spiked with the licorice-y herb ($2.50), are warm and starchy, and make the wine sit easily. Here's where the wisdom of Father of Munch comes into play: You can drink more if you eat beans.

For two glasses of good wine each and enough food that we were full, the cost was $40. It's low price to pay for escape.

Casbah is at 229 S. Highland Ave. in Shadyside (412-661-5656).