Walls in Spain: The Paella Club

On Friday night we had the privilege of spending the evening at The Paella Club. It is definitely one of my favorite experiences thus far in Barcelona! We went there at the suggestion of some folks we met while we were in London last year. They were coming to Barcelona to visit friends who own a winery and we decided to get together on Friday night. The brother of the winery owner is the owner of the Paella Club, so we went there. I wasn't really sure what to expect because I am not a huge paella lover, but it was super fun! I recommend it to anyone visiting Barcelona or those who live here and want a cool activity to do with friends or family or co-workers. It is not cheap, but it is well worth the price!!!

We started out with a glass of cava (obviously) and then we were escorted to our stations to cook. Each station is set up for two people and Bucky and I ended up at the seafood paella station. He was thrilled. The two people who run the show are both named Alex which made it easy! The chef, Alex, is the one who gave the directions on how to actually cook the ingredients. We, of course, learned all about his life by chit chatting with him too! The other Alex kept the cava flowing and elaborated on some of the things we were learning and ingredients we were using. He had us drink olive oil from a wine glass and it was amazing!

Preparing the paella was much easier than I anticipated. Of course, all of the ingredients were already chopped and measured so we just had to add them to the pan and cook as instructed, but it seemed pretty simple. You only cook the food for a little while on the stove because the real cooking takes place in the oven.

As the paella was doing its thing in the oven, the Alexes moved us over to the dining table for some appetizers they had prepared. We had an amazing saffron cauliflower soup and the traditional tomato bread that is a popular tapa in Barcelona. We also learned the history of the tomato bread which was fascinating. (I won't spoil it for you!) When our paella came out of the oven, we were all impressed. I liked the chicken and rosemary one better, but Bucky was all about the seafood one.

Wine was graciously provided by Geoff and Mary Ann's friend who owns the winery and man, it was amazing! He brought bottles from 1996 through 1999 and we compared them all. My favorites were 1997 and 1999, but I was partial since that is when my kids were born! As my niece would say, "the period on the end of the sentence of the evening" was the delicious chocolate dessert made by and served to us by Alex the chef. It was amazing.

The Paella Club was a great experience! I feel like I appreciate the Barcelona culture more after spending the evening there. We had lots of fun with our friends and learned a lot about the foods and wines of the region. Plus, we ate a spectacular meal. The night was certainly a 10!!!