content: I've eaten at a few celebrity-owned restaurants that were amazing (Carne Vino in Vegas, Cafe Atlantico in DC), but Mesa was not one of them.  Based on my experiences, I have decided that the best way to tell if a Celebrity Chef's restaurant is going to be any good or not is how much the restaurant relies on the celeb's name rather than the food to get people in the door.\n\nMy friend and I walked into Mesa for our last summer lunch together and were immediately assaulted by a shrine to Flay behind the hostess stand.  You can buy his books, chutneys, spice rubs, and probably posters in the restaurant.  The atmosphere of the restaurant didn't get much better.  As we were lead to our table, we walked past the open kitchen where the chef manning the grill was cooking burger after burger and piling them up off to one side.  Made to order, eh?  The table we were seated at was so close to another couple that I could have bumped the other lady with my elbow if I wasn't careful.  I know Mesa isn't an intimate date restaurant or anything, but I felt uncomfortable having the conversation I wanted to have with my friend there.\n\nOur waiter had to crawl out of Flay's butt to bring us the day's specials.  \""Do you know Bobby Flay?  Did you choose Mesa because of Mr. Flay?  Do you watch Bobby on the food network?\"" he simpered as he held the menu upside down in front of us.  His appetizer recommendation was good though.  The Queso Fundido was yummy.  As were the ($16) margaritas.  I was surprised they were that expensive at lunch time; I could have gotten similar cocktails at many other restaurants for $9-$12.\n\nMy biggest complaint about Mesa, and the reason I only give it one star, is the seasoning.  I get that southwestern spice, chilis and rubs are Flay's thing, but there's something to be said for subtlety.  I ordered a lamb cobb salad because I really like lamb and thought that sounded delicious.  Too bad I couldn't taste my lamb.  It was cooked perfectly and melt-in-my-mouth tender, but it didn't taste like anything but chili powder.  I love lamb because it tastes good.  Why go against that?  About halfway through my salad when I had pretty much decided I had had enough anyway, a little black bug crawled out from under a lettuce leaf and began crawling around the lip of my plate.  He was moving slowly, perhaps dazed by the spices as I was.\n\nWe quickly flagged down a busser (who had been really attentive about our bread, drinks, and water - I think he was my favorite thing about the meal) who brought the plate, still with bug, to our waiter.  He came and apologized, soon the floor manager came to apologize, but she did it in the rudest way I can imagine.  \""Why didn't you say anything when I came by earlier?\"" she demanded.  \""Because a bug hadn't crawled out of my salad yet...\"" I replied.  Then she went on to explain that in a kitchen their size, things like this are unavoidable.  I get it.  Produce gets bugs, my kitchen has a bug in it from time to time, but she shouldn't have admitted that.  The right thing to do is say I'm so sorry and leave it at that.\n\nFunny story, when she had come by and inquired about how we were enjoying the meal earlier, I said \""It's ok,\"" which is about how I felt.  She shot me the angriest look and stalked off instead of caring to find out why I wasn't happy.\n\nMy salad was comped, and I got a free creme brulee that was \""ok.\""  Maybe the dinner is better, but I will not go back to Mesa to find out.