Barna (CLOSED)

A modern Spanish restaurant—outfitted with a stylish lounge and (soon to come) 50 umbrella-topped outdoor tables—is theoretically an ideal place to nibble on tapas and sip sangria. But, oddly, miniature bites like salt-cod fritters and meatballs lack some pizzazz. Appetizers are more reliable, such as green-chili-and-garlic-seared prawns or sweet-and-sour quail, or entrées such as big, juicy pork chops. This isn’t light fare: Chef John Kekalos loads his paella with hearty amounts of chorizo, and crafts another rice dish with orzo, wild mushrooms and truffled Manchego. The restaurant doesn’t yet have the buzz it needs or deserves, which bodes well for those who need last-minute reservations for a large birthday dinner—and not so well for social thrill seekers.