Photos of these and other illustrious guests cover the blue-painted walls of this popular eatery, which was founded in 1890. Its reputation for good food combined with its location, at one end of a long row of restaurants that front a beautiful wide sandy Mediterranean beach make for a memorable experience.
There are many types of paella (pronounced pie-aye-ya), but the main ingredient is always short-grain white rice, cooked in a large, round shallow pan and eaten communally. Its popularity has expanded beyond Spain's borders and can now be found on menus in many other Hispanic countries, and in Europe and North America.
But what better place to enjoy Spain's national dish than in the city where it originated? Rice, along with oranges, and a local beverage made from tiger nuts, are said to have been introduced to Valenica by the Moors who occupied the city for 500 years. Casseroles of rice, seafood and spices were often prepared for family gatherings and special occasions.
You can learn more at Valenica's rice museum, or take a pleasant side trip, 12 km south to the village of El Palmar, where much of the rice used in paella is still grown.
Until the 14th century, El Palmar was an island in Albufera Lake, which provided inspiration for various Spanish literary masterpieces including many works by Valencia-born writer Blasco Ibanez. Now it's also the heart of the picturesque Albufera Nature Reserve, a wetland for waterbirds that spend winters in Spain with important breeding colonies of herons, purple gallinule and terns.
The Lake is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by the Devesa del Saler, a strip of land with pine forests and ancient dunes. We took a 50-minute boat ride on the lake, which included a visit to one of the traditional houses once occupied by fishermen and rice farmers
Later, at Restaurant Mateu in El Palmar, one of the chefs invites us into the kitchen to watch him prepare a traditional Valenciana paella with chicken, rabbit, green beans and saffron. These days, you can also find seafood paella, mixed paella (seafood and meat), and black paella, made with squid ink. If you're interested in local specialties, another dish is All i Pebre which contains eels from Albufera Lake.
Though we strayed from tradition and ordered a vegetarian paella, I was shown how to enjoy it like a local -- by eating directly from the pan and revelling in the caramelized, toasted rice at the bottom.
You can order paella elsewhere in the world, but here you can enjoy it near kilometres of golden sand Mediterranean beaches, and, in the case of El Palmar, stunning sunsets.
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GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS
Famous Valencia oranges, Spanish hams, olives and other regional specialties -- you'll find all of these and more at Valencia's central market located in the heart of the city across from the silk exchange. With 350 stalls, it's one of Europe's largest markets.
The railway station-like building itself is a gem of modernist architecture. Built at the start of the last century, the iron and glass structure has stained glass windows and is crowned by swordfish and parrot weather vanes. While in the city don't miss Valencia's signature beverage -- horchata, made with ground tiger nuts.
One place to enjoy it is at Santa Catalina, the oldest horchateria in town near the Plaza de la Reina. Or for a drink with a "kick" try Agua de Valencia ("Valencia Water") -- orange juice, Cointreau and cava.
MORE INFORMATION
For general information on Valencia, check turisvalencia.es. The Albufera Tourist bus offers a two-hour tour of the Albufera Nature Reserve including a boat trip. Though the tour is usually in Spanish, many boats have English handouts about the area. The trip leaves from Plaza de la Reina. Price about $22 adults, $12.50 children. Check valenciabusturistic.com or albufera.com.
A clean, quiet, and centrally located modern hotel in Valencia is the Hotel Dimar (hotel-dimar.com) on the palm-tree lined Gran Via Marques del Turia, 80.
Good guides include Travellers' Nature Guides Spain (Oxford University Press) and Frommer's Spain (2009).
WRITER@INTERLOG.COM
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