Paella, A Pan of Pleasing Portions

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DATE: April 21st, 2017
953 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10022
b/t 51st St & 50th St
I almost wasn't going to blog about this one because I have fewer words (than normal) to say about this, but I couldn't help at least share this delicious photo. It's Arroz Negro from Socarrat Paella Bar in midtown east NYC. This was a great seafood paella, the rice made with squid ink and chock full of shrimp, calamari, scallops, white fish, piquillo pepper & fava beans.




The last time I had squid ink paella was at Boqueria, a restaurant where I generally enjoy their Spanish tapas cuisine. But Boqueria’s paella during a weekend brunch a few months ago did not impress me. So I was skeptical when a restaurant like Socarrat Paella Bar puts a specialty in their name. It has a lot to live up to and after my last letdown of a paella experience, I put this "paella bar" at an even higher expectation. Expectations definitely were met, as it left a nice, pleasant impression that has me wanting to go back for more. As you can see for yourself, there was plenty of pieces of seafood to pick from and share. Garlic aioli was provided on the side, and anybody who has read my food bio may remember my absolute love for aioli! I did spread this around my plate of the squid ink rice & dipped each bite of shrimp, scallop and fish in it. But even I have to say, this paella didn’t need it at all! The rice has a nice, smooth and creamy texture. The top and center layers were moist, while the bottom and edge of the pan maintained the right balance of a toasty crunchy without tasting burnt.


Since it was a spontaneous date night with the hubby, we decided our wallets wanted to stick with just the paella that night. But if their tapas are just as nosh-worthy as their paella, we can’t wait to revisit and dig our forks deeper into their plates and plates of gastronomic proportions.

Bottom Line: Socarrat Paella Bar is definitely not just a gimmick, it really does serve up a pan of cozy, toasty perfection. Everything in this dish just fits perfectly well together. Try Socarrat Paella Bar if you're looking for a good paella.

 Happy Noshing, Jeanne
Location: 953 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA

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