Almost no dish has the ability to bring people together like Spanish paella. Mostly because you probably need some help to eat all of it.
March 27 is National Spanish Paella Day and we're celebrating by highlighting some of the best places to get some around Metro Detroit.
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In case you don't know, paella is a rice-based dish from Spain, specifically Valencia. It can made with a huge variety of items, but the basic outline is rice, shellfish, chicken and vegetables. It's cooked in a large, flat frying pan and served in a big bowl or serving plate. It's also usually served for a group of people, unless you're really hungry.
The original Valencian paella consists of white rice, green beans, meat, beans and sometimes snails.
There aren't a ton of Spanish food restaurants in the area, but others have picked up the paella slack for the good of our souls.
So, where can you find the best paella around Metro Detroit? Here are some options:
Vicente's Cuban Cuisine - Detroit
This Downtown Detroit staple has four different paella options, including a Cuban style paella, which includes lobster, shrimp, calamari, scallops, Spanish sausage, chicken, clams, mussels, vegetables and Spanish saffron rice.
They also offer seafood, vegetarian and the classic Valenciana paella.
Vicente's paella is serviced in quantities of two or more and their price is per person. It also takes about 45 minutes to prepare, but it's totally worth the wait.
La Feria - Detroit
This Spanish tapas joint has an unbeatable menu with Spanish favorites - it's truly one of the best in Detroit.
La Feria only serves their wonderful paella on Tuesday nights, starting at 5 p.m. Try some tapas while you wait for your paella to leave the kitchen.
Garrido's Bistro - Grosse Pointe Woods
This popular brunch spot specializes in seafood and Latin cuisine. They offer a great seafood paella with saffron rice, chicken, shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels and baby octopus.
The interesting part of their paella is the fact that you can probably eat it on your own. It's more of a personal paella than a group style bowl. It's about $30.
Bolero Latin Cuisine - Detroit
Bolero, in Midtown, offers four paellas, including their house paella with shrimp, calamari, fish, clams, chicken, chorizo, vegetables and rice.
They also have a paella with calamari ink called paella en tinta. It also has lobster. They run from $25 - $30 per person.
