If you can get over the ever confusing San Vicente Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area , you can find a nice Spanish restaurant called La Paella. Almost everyone in our group had to go around the block at least once to find this place. Inside, the place gives a very homey vibe, candle-lit tables, lots of hand painted ceramic plates on the wall, very colorful and vibrant. A woman singing Spanish songs was playing in the background.
We got a few tapas: Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid with garlic and parsley), Mejillones Costa Brava (Steamed mussles with white wine), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sautee with garlic and chili pod), Vieras al Ajillo (Scallops sautee with garlic and chili pod), Callos a la Madrileña (Tripe stew with sausage and garbanzo beans), Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated anchovy filets), and Jamon Serrano from Spain. I really enjoyed each and every tapa, the seafoods were clearly fresh and deliciously cooked lightly, making it soft and savory. The Mejillones, steamed mussles, were so good we ordered another one, the wine broth made excellent dipping for the crusty bread. The Callos had a creamy texture that felt like butter on the tongue and the savory mix of chorizos, garbanzos and tomatoes makes you forget it is tripe. I expected the Boquerones to be salty and fishy, so I was delightfully surprised to find it fresh, sweet, and tart, reminds me of pickled Herring. The Jamon Serrano from Spain was also so good we had to order another one. The paper-thin slices of ham looked deliciously smooth and glossy, the bite is firm not soft, and the taste is unforgettable, nutty and sweet, with a wonderfully floral hint.
We had two huge pans of paellas, what a magnificent sight, Paella Valenciana Mixta (lower) and Paella de Montaña con Chorizo (upper).
The Paella Valenciana is made with rice, seafood and vegetables with saffron and rosemary. The dish is pure eye candy. I think Paellas are the best looking dishes. In terms of taste, this is sensory overdrive with so much going on in your palate. Delicious but a little salty. The Paella de Montaña con Chorizo is made with rice, chicken, in-lieu of the traditional rabbit, pork chorizo, green beans and lima beans with saffron. Also delicious, I must have had some form of "taste buds fatigue" because I swear both paellas tasted the same! Except for the distinct seafood flavor in the Valenciana and the robust flavor of chorizo in the Montaña. These were still superb dishes that I would come back for.
Unfortunately, they did not have any Txakoli, so I had some Estrella Damm beer to go with my food, a Spanish pilsner beer from Barcelona, light crisp and refreshing, goes very well with Spanish food. I took this picture with my iPhone before the tapas were served. I looked at the picture and decided to bring out the camera.
476 S. San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
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