DineOut Sensual Gourmet From smokefree waiters (!) to loaner sunglasses, Midtown’s new Ibiza Food and Wine Bar pays attention to the details...and the food’s pretty great, too by E.J. Arnell

The creative duo behind Tasca has been busy; Grant Cooper and Charles Clark have put their extensive restaurant experience and modern ideas into Houston’s grooviest new eatery. The result is a sophisticated Midtown dining option.

A passion for food comes honestly to these well-traveled gentlemen. Both have lived in Europe–Cooper in Belgium, Clark in Spain–and both crossed many borders to experience the superb gastronomy offered on that continent. They learned the restaurant business from the bottom up and are more than qualified to know what makes a restaurant run smoothly. They have taken their experience from travels, work, and school and applied the knowledge to a well-crafted plan.

Ibiza is a sensual restaurant. Houstonians can now experience what many Europeans do when they eat out–a dining adventure. There is a theatrical feel with the open kitchen, rolling cocktail carts, carefully selected music, burning candles, and seemingly stark–yet cool and relaxing–décor.

Once inside, you’ll soon forget that you just parked in another strip mall in order to eat out. Ignore the view of your car and turn your eyes inward. Linen-covered tables and wood chairs sit atop a large checked blue-and-gray carpet, which contrasts nicely with the darkly painted concrete floors. Cool white walls reflect the sunlight that streams through French doors in the rounded wall that is a semi-circle of the entire restaurant. Billows of blue curtains hang in place of sharp corners. The appearance is only one aspect of the overall plan. Less obvious details are also important.

For example, the serving staff is not allowed to smoke while at work. This may seem unfair to smokers, but in every decision, Cooper and Clark considered the customer first. They didn’t want servers missing in action or coming back to their tables smelling like smoke. Kudos to that. The whole restaurant is currently non-smoking with smoking permitted on the outdoor patio. If you happen to be dining outside and need a pair of sunglasses, you can borrow one of the 30 available for loan.

Another aspect that adds huge points for well-seasoned diners is the tableware. Beautiful glasses, large plates, and heavy good-quality flatware all increase the pleasure. Certainly, what goes into the glasses and onto the plates is top priority. Clark designed a gorgeous menu.

The type of food is difficult to categorize because ingredients from many cuisines are used to invent distinctive new dishes. Clark, reluctant to use labels, calls it "eclectic Mediterranean." The menu is definitely influenced by his travels and his use of European techniques, but there are also Asian twists that come from his adventures at local Vietnamese markets. And being from Louisiana, of course he cannot deny his heritage and adds Creole and Cajun elements freely.

From the appetizer list, a.k.a. small plates before dinner, there are the familiar offerings–crab cakes, calamari, and mussels prepared exquisitely, so do try them if these are your favorites. However, more interesting options exist, like the snail ravioli, octopus carpaccio, and mushroom risotto with white truffle oil.

The lightly sautéed greens that accompany the delicate snail ravioli offer a wonderful contrast to the rich and creamy bundles. The strongest flavors come from the anchovy cream sauce and the boursin cheese mixed in with the garlic; the snails seem to be there for texture, but still there is something exotic about eating them. For the carpaccio, the octopus is lightly braised (using a method that Clark learned in Spain to tenderize the meat) and served on a pappadam cracker. The saltiness and crispness of the Indian cracker works marvelously with the cool freshness of the octopus. You must try the risotto. Roasted cremini mushrooms are mixed in with the al dente grains; then deeply flavored grana cheese and white truffle oil are barely stirred into the mixture before it heads out to your table. The result is a powerfully aromatic earthy creation worthy of a good red wine, like a ’93 Rioja.

The main course dishes are as varied as they are flavorsome, but here are a few to think about. The vegetarian offerings are fantastic, wonderful on a hot night when you feel like eating well but not heavy. I particularly like the seared pasta with its marriage of sweet corn and bitter arugula, the rich grana cheese acting as a powerful mediator. The bloodred blue-fin tuna comes with a crisp edge and rare middle, allowing for the taste and texture of the fish to dissolve on the tongue.

Also on the menu are two types of beef, an Argentinean sirloin and Nebraskan tenderloin. If you are in the mood for meat, both are incredible. The sirloin, buttery soft and richly flavorful, is served with sweet yams and spears of asparagus. The garlic-infused tenderloin is unbelievably tender (at medium rare) and comes with blue cheese scalloped potatoes and sautéed bok choy. If you can manage to think about dessert after the Texas-sized portions, the in-house pastry chef, Forrest Paddock, whips up daily treats.

Ibiza is open for lunch with a similar menu, but adds more salads and sandwiches. I suggest the seafood salad that comes with chilled grilled shrimp, smoked salmon, and steamed mussels on a collection of fresh greens, sliced red onions, and tomatoes that are tossed in a very tasty Moroccan dressing. If you work downtown, you will find it easy to get there for a moderately quick, sit-down meal. The mood of the restaurant evolves over the course of the day as the customers come and go, starting with those in blouses and ties at lunch, to the curious outer-loopers and grannies for the early sitting of dinner, and ending as the young and hip start to float in about nine.

The prices are actually very reasonable for what you receive. All the gourmet food stays under $30 with the exception of some nightly specials. The wines are listed at retail prices, and according to Robyn Tinsley, managing editor of wineskinny.com, the collection has "great, fun wines that are priced astonishingly low, which allows people to try wines that they might not otherwise try." If you wish, you can take an unfinished corked bottle home with you, which allows you to sample one bottle with appetizers and another with your main course if you are so inclined. The backlit wine wall displays many exceptional wines, including North American stars: Caymas Cabernet Sauvignon 1997, and Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 1996. When asked why the wines were priced so low, the response was, "So that people would drink it and enjoy themselves." Cheers!

Ibiza, 2450 Louisiana @ McGowan, 713/524-0004. Open Tues.—Thurs. 11-11, Fridays 11-12, Saturdays 5-12, Sundays 5-9. Closed Mondays.