Dali serves up Spanish flavor

For anyone eager for an authentic taste of Spain or looking for sangria as good as you found abroad, Dal?­ is an elegant, yet expensive place to try. If a jumpin' party crowd is what you're looking for, you won't find it at Dal?­. However, the bar next door and certainly the booze luge stand across the street make it well worth the venture.

Dal?­ is located a 15-minute walk from Harvard Square on Washington Street, and we suggest not drinking too much before you leave or else you may accidentally stumble into the Harvard Chemistry Department's mid-semester celebration (oh wait, that's at the bar next door... we'll explain later).

After looking at the pictures of couples making out on the Dal?­ website, we expected to witness some Spanish style loving firsthand, but instead, we found a rather tame atmosphere. Not only were we the youngest people there, but were among the few not on dates. And if you didn't come with one, you won't find an amante here since there was about as much mingling at Dal?­ as at a middle school dance.

Aside from this lack of interaction, it was still a fun, hip scene to chill with friends. We had no problem hearing each other over the music, which was a unique assortment of traditional Spanish songs, Ricky Martin "hits," and our personal favorite, the Spanish version of "Hands Up."

The d?©cor was quite impressive, especially the massive taxidermy attached to the kitchen sign. Other unique decorations included a mobile hanging from wine corks, a fishnet-clad pair of legs protruding from the wall, and a jack-o-lantern carved to look like the mask from Scream.

It was the fun-loving staff, however, who contributed the most to our experience.

The use of a bubble-blowing gun to liven up an already spirited rendition of Happy Birthday was representative of the staff's sense of humor. Likewise, one waitress dressed up as Cruella Deville remarked, "That's the way we like it, loud and dirty" after one lush spilled a few drops of sangria.

We later observed Cruella and a few of her compadres slipping not so inconspicuously away for their own mid-shift spirits, and we don't blame them because the sangria rivaled that of Tiz??n, reportedly the best sangria in Spain.

You can get the sangria by the glass or the liter, but the two-liter pitcher at $27 is the best bang for your (or your mom's) buck. If sangria is not your thing, there is an extensive, yet expensive, wine list. In addition, there is a small selection of beer, which includes one draught beer and three bottled varieties.

We were hoping to try the infamous Spanish beer, Estrelle Galicia, but they were out of it when we went. Obviously, beer is not their forte, so we recommend sticking with the sangria.

For those not willing to fork over the $12 food minimum required to sit at a table, you can order tapas at the bar. While we chose to stick with the safe, yet delicious option of tortilla espa?±ola, there were 35 other tapas on the menu. If you're feeling adventurous, we dare you to try chipirones rellenos, stuffed squid in its own ink.

While Dal?­ is a great place to begin your evening, it does close at midnight. But the bar next door, The Kirkland, stays open later and is definitely worth a stop on your way home. Although somewhat intrigued by the music we heard coming from inside the bar, we didn't intend to investigate it until we were waved in by the Frankenstein-like bouncer and pardoned of the standard $5 cover charge (probably because there were more people playing in the band than there were drinking in the bar).

The twelve-man Calypso band, however, was both entertaining and original (think the Swinging Johnsons on spring break in the Caymans). Although we were still unable to find any Spanish beer, The Kirkland had a wide variety of your standard fare. Be forewarned, if you need to break the seal, we recommend doing so at the clean dentist office-like bathrooms at Dal?­. Not only was The Kirkland's bathroom a little bit smelly, but one lush was attacked by Depo-Provera pamphlets upon opening the stall door.

Both Dal?­ and The Kirkland offer distinctive experiences that are off the proverbial beaten path. Don't expect a raucous party crowd at either though. After all, tonight's feature at The Kirkland is the Harvard Chemistry Department's mid-semester "celebration." Most importantly, don't forget to pick up a booze luge at the big, white ice-vending stand across the street for the rest of your weekend's festivities.