Bitter in Barcelona
By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We swung open Barcelona’s impressively large door at 7:45 p.m. on a Saturday and walked up to the hip hostess stand backed by a glowing aqua blue wall of water. Seats were available inside and outside (there’s a smoking patio as well as a thoughtful nonsmoking patio far, far away from the ashtrays). We took advantage of the rare opportunity to dine al fresco without the fear of a cigarette being lit.

Service: Abysmal. We weren’t given the opportunity to place a food order until 15 minutes after we were seated. Our first water refills came an hour and a half into our slow-paced meal with our silver-haired server giving us the Denny’s treatment — he reached across the table (definitely not a $25-an-entree move) to pour water into my husband’s glass, dripping a bit of condensation on us.

Two of my dining companions ordered wine and not only were they never asked if they’d like a second glass, their Zin-less glasses were left on the table until we ordered dessert. And speaking of leaving things on the table, the two of us who were not drinking had our dining space needlessly cluttered by our unused wine glasses for more than half the meal. It took 10 minutes for someone to notice we’d finished our main course, and if all that weren’t enough, we were charged $7 for a tortilla soup we never ordered.

Meal: It’s a shame the service left a bad taste in my mouth, because the food certainly didn’t. Our crunchy bruschetta trio was covered edge to edge with fresh ingredients including mozzarella, tomato, basil and balsamic vinaigrette; portobello mushrooms, shallots and a whiskey lime marinade; and roasted yellow and red bell peppers, red onions and asiago cheese.

Both seafood plates — the sesame-seed covered seared ahi tuna and charbroiled halibut — were near-perfect catches served with lightly salted-and-peppered steamed veggies. The halibut, however, was served with a small pile of sautéed tomato and onion rather than the sun-dried tomato and roasted garlic compound butter the menu promised. The thick cut of filet mignon was cooked pretty close to our medium request, but the lamb was a laughable medium-well. The savory soy-mustard glaze drizzled over the chops made the pink-red middles tolerable.

Both meat dishes came with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and slightly steamed asparagus, which I find way tastier off a grill. Beware the dessert tray — it’s gorgeous and has something for every weakness. The three-berry cobbler was a sugary soup of purples and reds, but there wasn’t enough crumb topping to make the tangy trio sing. It took some effort to crack the mud pie’s glistening, chocolate-coated, Oreo fortress, but we eventually reached the ice cream center. At some point, we toppled the tasty tower in a sweet-tooth tizzy. Mmmm, coffee and chocolate.

Scene: It was prom city in the gorgeous, spacious Spanish restaurant and lounge. Castlelike touches were everywhere — heavy black iron sconces, Romanesque columns, cantera stone fireplaces, ornate throw rugs, red velvet curtains, rough-cut granite bars — creating a medieval cool. Live music kicked in at 8 p.m., and by 10, a bunch of thirty- and-fortysomethings were grooving to R&B classics.

Bathroom break: Clean and spacious with huge, showerlike faucet heads that were eye-catching, but probably not the best choice in a drought-stricken state. Tab for four: $175 with tip and tax for bruschetta trio ($6), stuffed piquillo peppers ($7), lamb chops ($27), halibut ($23), filet mignon ($27), seared ahi ($26), mud pie ($6), berry cobbler ($6), crème brûlée ($5), cappuccino ($5) and latte ($5).

If work weren’t buying: Loved the atmosphere, liked the food, hated the service. When you’re spending this kind of cash, that last one is huge.

Scorecard
Food B
Service D+
Scene A-
Bathrooms B+
Overall B-

Barcelona
900 N. 54th St., Chandler

Major cross streets: Interstate 10 and Ray Road
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday Reservations accepted: Yes Health report: Two major violations on Feb. 28 Kid friendly: Yes Web site: o www.barcelonachandler.com