Paella, por fin!

Finally had my first Paella experience!! Saturday, before the big Spain/France game (which we dominated, BTW), Brittany, Gemma, Erienne, and I went to Plaza Mayor for a long lunch. And since I'd never had Paella (nor gazpacho) we decided there was no time like the present!

Paella with mussels, clams, shrimp (prawns) and chicken

 Our lunch came with 2 plates eat (2 courses) and a glass of wine. Brittany and I ordered the paella; Gemma and Erienne went with the gazpacho, and then we shared them amongst the 4 of us. I can honestly say I liked the paella more than I thought I would; it wasn't too fishy, and apart from the calamari rings and GIANT prawn (which I refused to touch), everything was delicious. The mussels have a unique texture, which I wasn't used to, but the chicken was perfect and the rice took on all the flavors of the mix.

Gazpacho

 I think the gazpacho took the cake for the first round though; with it being 40+˚ (Celsius!), cold gazpacho definitely hit the spot. The tomato-y flavor of the thick gazpacho was complemented nicely with the add-ins: cucumber, diced tomato, pepper, and onion, and it was perfect for dipping bread.

Our first course spread

With the trimmings: pepper, onion, tomato, and cucumber

MUSSELS

tiny shrimp

For the second course, we all chose one of the 4 options, again to split between the four of us. Gemma and I chose the 2 fish plates, and Brittany and Erienne went with the 2 steak dishes. My fish came out battered and fried, and for a second I thought I had ordered Long John Silver's. But it was delicious; the batter on the outside was thin and not extremely crispy, the fish on the inside was pristine white and very, very mild. 

2nd course: fried fish and veggies

 Gemma's fish had more spices added, but it was just as tender and white on the inside as mine. Her's came as a whole fish, which we just pried open and the meat fell right off the little bones. Very yummy.

Grilled whole fish and veggies

Both Erienne's and Brittany's steak dishes were good, but Erienne's was the better, by far. Her thin carne came with caramelized onions on top whose flavors completely soaked into the steak. We all took our time, sampling and savoring each dish - definitely a lunch to remember.