Who would have thought that NYC had its very own paella bar! I certainly did not until my friend Laura suggested it for dinner one eve. Located in Chelsea, Socarrat is a shoe box size restaurant that serves all sorts of tapas items and several different kinds of paella. We started with the pan tomaca (toasted bread, fresh tomato, olive oil), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes, garlic aioli), and a very gooey eggplant dish that jiggled a lot. The pan tomasca was delicious but the portion was minimal. The patatas bravas were also yummy but we didn't get as much as I would have expected for the $. The eggplant salad was just OK. There was no zip which is perhaps why it was a special starter and not a regular on the menu. The centerpiece of the dinner was the paella for three. We played it safe and had the "Paella Socarrat" which featured chicken, fish, beef, shrimp, cuttle fish, green beans, mussels, and cockle clams. When our server presented us with our dinner, she told us to let it sit for 5 minutes so the rice could cook longer. We did and then we dove in head first! My first bite was glorious. A little rice and a piece of shrimp. All seasoned perfectly. The dish was generously salted but not too much. I can't recall the last time I had such good paella! My friend Emily who was with us said that this paella was as good as what she got in Spain this summer!
Bottom line: Definitely worth a visit. The paella is moderately priced but skip the starters as they are definitely over priced. Also, if you go with a group of 4 or more, ask for the front table in the window!
socarratpaellabar.com
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