Mallorca excels with bold flavors and fine wines

Mallorca 2228 E. Carson St. 412-488-1818 Lunch: $15-20, Dinner: $20-30

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You can actually get more than you pay for when you visit Mallorca. Some diners might feel guilty.

The first thing I noticed was the location. You’ve passed it before: Every time you go over the Birmingham Bridge, Mallorca rests at the opposite end, welcoming you into the South Side.

You might worry – with the valets scurrying around the parking lot servicing Beamers at night – that every entree could destroy your fledgling credit rating.

Adding more fuel to these suspicions, the entry room is manned by a smartly dressed bartender and formal black-and-white clad service staff.

However, this is unfounded anxiety. I was shown to my table by a friendly host, then given the menu, specials and no lack of attention.

Mallorca shines through because the server isn’t asking you the same old “how ya doin’?” every time. Instead he asked if I wanted another drink or an appetizer.

I ordered a special appetizer, six red peppers stuffed with seafood in a light tomato sauce. The soft sweet pepper was excellent against the creamy spiced stuffing.

For my entree, I ordered the Paella Valenciana, a variety of shrimp, scallops and shellfish tossed in a big bowl of rice, accented with peas and saffron. The portion was huge – I thought I’d accidently ordered the dinner-size platter. I didn’t even try to eat the steamed greens and unsalted chips that came with the meal.

The scallops were the best part – plump but light. The saffron rice was brilliant and packed an even-handed punch of spice and sweet.

My convivial dining pal ordered a Spanish coffee: Coffee, brandy and Kahlua. Out of curiosity, I asked to see a wine list.

The list went on for several pages, and the proof was on the walls of Mallorca. Wine rack after wine rack surrounded me, blocking the pleasant jade wallpaper with splashes of label colors.

If there weren’t threatening clouds piling up at the edge of Pittsburgh, I would’ve asked to be seated on the patio. However, even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, Mallorca has skylights that saturate the dining room with an unearthly bottle-green glow.

After finishing the meal, I just wanted to relax. Although satisfying, the meal was almost a challenge. Plates covered the table, and a crustacean lying on top of my rice dared me to try and eat the rest of the paella.

The wait staff kindly took care of the situation, and then I had time to lay my arms on the table and try to explain to my tablemate how full I really was.

I was almost certain my cover had been blown when they brought out complimentary shots of dessert liquor for both of us.

However, when we asked our regular guy why we got them, he gave us a straightforward response: Free dessert liquor comes with any purchase of alcohol.

So after hearing whispers about some classy place across the river that had the best Spanish food in Pittsburgh, I was relieved that Mallorca didn’t have expectations for what I was going to order and was a friendly place no matter what.

The rest was elementary – Mallorca delivered the fine cuisine I had heard about and the some.

The best thing you can do when dining at Mallorca is to bring someone along so you don’t face the challenge of ridiculously good dining alone.