ABOUT       The Basque region is without doubt the kingdom of pleasant living and "conviviality". During the long warm evenings, friends willingly linger sharing a glass of Rioja or Irouleguy. Supposedly sometime in the 1800s, a Basque aubergiste ad the idea of coverind a glass with a thin slice of Serano Ham. Some claim that this was meant to guard the aroma, but according to others, just to protect against flies. This custom spread all over the Basque region. These "tops" -- tapas in Spanish -- soon descended from the glass to the counter and expanded. For a long time they were merely offered as a complement to drinks.           In this new century, however, tapas have become the central focus of good eating. Tapas can be the whole meal served as small plates of finger food sharde with friends. Tasty, cold or hot. Easy to serve, easy to eat. But this cuisine challenges chefs to use local products imaginatively and to experiment with imported products.           Tapas offer infinite possibilities for sophisticated cooking. Chefs compete in creating new combinations. The Basque chefs in San Francisco serve: piquillos pepper stuffed with salt cod, long a traditional favorite.           Other typical Basque specialties include ewe cheese, piment d'Espelette and wines typical of all parts of the Basque region. Here at Iluna Basque we feature local resources such as crab, prawns, mussels, scallops, tuna and salmon.           These products, as well as the bay and the city of San Francisco, share striking resemblances with the charms of San Sebastian where I discovered tapas. I first tasted tapas on visits there with my family, as I was growing up just across the border in the French Basque area. Later I went back for the wonderful night life, drinking cider and nibbling these specialties.           After I came to California I begin to realise the potential of the tapas concept. i learned that the Bay Area has many tapas places with a variety of cultural influences. However what makes mine different is the Basque emphasis.