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“Socarrat”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Spanish	Chelsea	Moderate	Good

lona. It’s tough to beat that meal.

In any case, the paella at Socarrat is exquisite, and worth a trip, and the potential wait for one of the 24 coveted seats at the long, lean high-top communal table. But before you get to the paella, you will need to have a few tapas. So grab a friend (it’s easiest to eat with just one person at the communal table), a bottle of wine (they are BYOB for now), and get ready to feast.

Diana and I started looking over the menu with a bottle of Muscadet and in no time had made friends with the couple on our left, who overheard us talking about my upcoming wedding. They were already regulars at Socarrat, and recommended a few dishes for us to start out with.

While we could’ve tried a generous wedge of tortilla ($7), a few crisp, deep-fried croquetas ($8, they change daily), patatas bravas in the form of potato chips ($8), a terra cotta dish bubbling with juicy shrimp and chiles and garlic ($10), or filled with salt cod brandade ($8), or a very Spanish platter of embutidos stocked with chorizo, salchicon and fuet ($9), we went with a plate of the calamar a la plancha—tender ringlets of calamari served in a puddle of rich, red fish stock heavy with the sea, and sharpened with garlic ($10). We followed it up with the Ensalada de Remolacha ($10)—a mix of roasted red and golden beets tossed with peppers that is summery and refreshing, and slightly unexpected with a pine nut brittle and a wonderful “dressing” that was really more like a manchego cheese fondue. I liked the idea of this salad and was really impressed with the addition of the candied pine nuts, but I’d have liked a bit more acidity and salt in the salad and a bit more of that manchego cheese vinaigrette too. But there were no complaints about the pork belly ($10), an ample dish that’s truly a spectacular combination of sweet (date puree), tart (granny smith apples) and fatty (that beautifully braised belly).

Now, the paella choice is a tough one. The menu offers six options (four paellas, one rice, and one fideua) all priced the same at $21 a person. Your choices include the Paella Socarrat (with chicken, shrimp, cuttlefish, fava beans, mussels and clams), the Paella de Pescado (with shrimp, mussels, cuttlefish, clams and fish), the Paella de la Huerta (with seasonal vegetables), the Paella de Carne (rabbit, chorizo, pork and chicken), Arroz Negro (squid ink with cuttlefish, s ... [more, click below]

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Posted: July 27, 2008

Other restaurants in Chelsea :
+ Matsuri   + La Bottega   + Tia Pol   + Bombay Talkie   + Cookshop   + D'Or Ahn: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Buddakan   + Crema   + InTent: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Trestle on Tenth   + Klee   + El Quinto Pino   + Socarrat   + Txikito   + Co. (Company)   

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