A Paella Feast at Socarrat

Since returning from Spain, I have been craving great paella, which, frustratingly, is almost impossible to find Stateside. Not paella in name only, which is what you often get in Manhattan restaurants. Glorified saffron flavored risotto in a large shallow pan does not a paella make. An authentic paella can NOT be missing the crunchy, just shy of burnt, top and bottom layers of rice in the pan, truly elevating a dish whose main ingredient is merely rice. Granted, that is a difficult line to toe, but if you are not going to do it right, why bother. Don't tease me with fake paellas, please.

So I had high hopes when I first heard of Socarrat Paella Bar, considering that socarrat refers to that elusive texture I sought, the crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom layer of rice. That seemed to bode well as the restaurant was at least aware of what the key component to a great paella was. So off I went to dinner, keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn't be disappointed.

A tiny sliver of a restaurant on a quiet block in Chelsea, Socarrat is dominated by a long communal bar where the majority of diners are seated (as much as anything can dominate a tiny 400 square foot space; a normal table for 4 would dominate as well). The antiqued decor is pleasant enough and makes Socarrat a cute date spot if the need arises.

Obviously, the main reason to come to Socarrat is the paella and as we waited for ours to be prepared, we ordered a couple of tapas to nibble on. The standout was the calamari a la plancha, which consisted of lovely grilled calamari in a garlic lemon marinade. Exceedingly tender and expertly grilled, my only hesitation in recommending the calamari is if you really were on a date. The garlic, as often is the case for Spanish food, was quite pronounced; luckily, no worries for me and the calamari was quickly dispatched. Fried sardines were our other choice, skewered and served over a nicely acidic tomato sauce. Although a bit heavy on the breading, the acidity of the tomato sauce held up nicely to the oiliness of the sardines making the dish pleasant enough.

The tapas did a good job distracting us while we waited for the star of the show, which soon emerged from the kitchen. The paella de carne for 2 that we ordered, interspersed with chunks of pork, chicken, duck, chorizo, and green beans, looked absolutely spectacular. Was this paella simply a pretty face or had I found a real paella outside of Valencia? Spooning the rice onto our dishes you could immediately tell we were in for a treat. The rice had the perfect consistency and textural crunch you want and the meats were all surprisingly juicy and well-seasoned. Bite after bite was quickly devoured and as the top layer of rice disappeared, our waiter sauntered over and scraped the crispy, truly delicious bits off the bottom of the pan, making sure we got every morsel of the socarrat. One wouldn't want to waste the best part.

It was actually nice for once for my expectations to actually be met; this was a truly great paella worthy of standing up to any competitors back in Spain and deserving, in and of itself, 3 stars. Easily worth a trip above 14th Street. I would even travel to the far reaches of Brooklyn for this paella, its just that good. Ok, maybe not to the far reaches, but regardless go to Socarrat and experience paella as it should be, in all its crispy glory.

3 stars: Worth Traveling Above 14th Street For

Socarrat Paella Bar
259 W. 19th Street between 7th and 8th Ave.
Cost: Dinner for 2 $80 (excluding tip)
Highlights: calamari a la plancha; paella de carne
Service: Friendly service characterized by the jovial presence of the Spanish owner/host