Small plates are so last year. (Case in point: the deluge of tapas joints currently invading the suburbs.) Now restaurateurs are mixing things up with a hodgepodge of many-sized plates that allow us to truly interact with our meals — tasting, sharing, and customizing on a whim. Michael Leviton’s menu at Persephone (283 Summer Street, Boston, 617.423.2257) offers diners the choice between small, medium, large, and (no question: for sharing) extra-large, while at Banq (1375 Washington Street, Boston, 617.451.0077), choose from bite-sized “Asian Amusés” and more traditional appetizers and desserts. Hungry Mother (233 Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, Cambridge, 617.499.0090) serves up smaller “To Tide You Over” snacks like deviled eggs and spicy cheese. These new setups allow us to tailor our orders to our appetites, which means that even after a long, drawn-out evening meal, we don’t have to emerge bursting at the seams.
