Like Saint-Tropez and Mykonos, the tiny Spanish island of Ibiza suggests high times, sun-drenched beaches, and hordes of international lollygaggers. That whiff of cosmopolitan style was exactly what Grant Cooper and Charles Clark were seeking in the name of their new restaurant (at 2450 Louisiana) in Houston’s hot midtown area. Clark, the chef, had in fact lived in Spain for two years and was eager to mix and match that country’s culinary traditions with those of Louisiana, where he grew up. “For instance, we do crab cakes with a tasso-ham-and-cream-cheese polenta,” he says. (The dish is sensational.) “And we put cabrales cheese—a Spanish blue—in the scalloped potatoes.” (Muy yummy.) Ibiza’s black-and-cream color scheme gives it an easy sophistication, and the wines are so reasonably priced that other restaurants should be ashamed of themselves.
