FAB FIRST COURSE: lobster-stuffed deviled eggs, created by chef Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja.

Appetizers and creativity go hand-in-hand. Familiar ingredients—eggs, for instance—take on a new image in the hands of the country’s chefs. In Cleveland, the tapas menu at Table 45 (named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants 2007), is available daily to bar guests, beginning at 3:45 p.m. with most items priced at $4.50. Chef Zachary Bruell’s specialties include Huevos Bilbao, an organic fried egg served over a saute of chorizo, peppers and onions, and garnished with smoked paprika. At Blackbird in Chicago, chef de cuisine Mike Sheerin’s creative dinner appetizers include a salad of endive, crispy potatoes, basil, Dijon, pancetta and a poached egg. From executive chef/owner Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja Restaurant in Denver comes a recipe for Lobster-Stuffed Deviled Eggs. You’ll find it in our recipe section.

Seafood appetizers also offer a world of possibilities. At Mission Grill in Philadelphia, the upscale Southwestern cuisine of executive chef Jose L. Vargas includes Camarones Tezon, jumbo shrimp with Tezon Tequila. Our recipe pages offer more seafood starters such as executive chef Alex Stanislaw’s Scallop Skewers, served at The Plantation House in Kapalua, HI, and an Endive/Grapefruit Salad with Smoked Trout.

TAPAS THE TOWN: Appetizers are making a splash at Zachary Bruell’s Table 45 in cleveland.

• Asian Lemongrass Wings
• Whole Grilled Mediterranean Daurade
• “Famous” Scallop Skewers with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Lehua Honey Glaze
• Endive and Grapefruit Salad with Smoked Trout
• Asian Bamboo Meatballs
• Crab Cakes Mediterranean Style
• King Crab and Cantaloupe Margarita
• Lobster-Stuffed Deviled Eggs
• Trio of Beggar’s Purses with Sauces
• Harissa Glazed Lamb Kebabs
• The Avocado