But much of the summer went by in a blur, and before I knew it, my Groupon was about to expire! So the day before expiration in late August I made a trip out there and went all out for a big meal.
I started with the Mussels with Green Sauce appetizer. The portion was generous, and the white wine sauce with parsley, garlic, and red peppers was very good.
 |
| Mussels with Green Sauce ($9.95) |
For my entree I decided to try their signature Paella Valencia. To be honest, I had expected a little more lobster based on the photos I've seen of the dish in the past (including one on their website), but at least it was tasty, and came with chips and a side of veggies that I barely ate because I couldn't even finish half of the paella!
 |
| Paella Valencia ($24.95) |
And against my better judgment, I ordered dessert. Yeah, I basically have no self control when it comes to sweets, especially ones displayed on a dessert tray. As far as I can tell, there is no printed dessert menu at Mallorca, so I'm not sure how often this Flan with a glob of gooey caramel is offered, but I would imagine that this is a pretty standard dessert and it was an enjoyable one.
 |
| Flan ($6) |
The atmosphere at Mallorca is very charming. I was seated in one of the dining rooms with blue decorated tiles on the wall, large bottles of wine and paintings on display, and a decent amount of natural lighting. I've never been to Spain, but I imagine this is what restaurants in Spain would look like. The service started out great when I was one of only a few patrons in the dining room. The servers were even joking with me when I whipped out my very conspicuous camera for my food shots. And then the dining room got really busy and was full by 7:15 on a Tuesday evening, and while there was something even charming about the hustle and bustle, I no longer received much attention. I suspect the impending Groupon expiration had something to do with the large crowd so it's hard to fault the service staff for seeming frazzled, so I let that one slide. (Note to self: Never wait 'til the last minute to use a Groupon again!)
Overall, I enjoyed my meal here. It's a place to go if I ever crave Spanish food.
Restaurant info:
Mallorca
2228 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412)488-1818
On the web: http://www.mallorcarestaurant.com
View Larger Map
