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La Paella Tapas Wine Bar & Restaurant44 Main St. Norwalk 06851-4711 203-831-8636 By Lorraine Gengo Fairfield County Weekly March 3, 2006 Two years ago, almost to the day, I reviewed the Spanish restaurant Mecca in downtown Norwalk, and became an instant fan of chef/owner Jaime Lopez's cuisine. About four months ago, I noticed that the restaurant's signage had changed and feared the worst. Restaurants come and go, it's a tough business, and I hate when the ones I like fail. But it's a wonderful thing when they risk a transformation--and it works! Lopez did an ingenious and rather counterintuitive thing: he took his large, open dining area and made it into two smaller dining areas separated by a large, gorgeous wooden bar, featuring a huge flower arrangement that's visible from both rooms. Not only has this renovation brought him increased bar business (Mecca used to have a small bar tucked into the back corner near the kitchen), it's created an intimate, sophisticated ambience that was lacking in the restaurant's former incarnation. For years, Lopez's regular customers wondered why on earth he'd chosen the name "Mecca" for his Spanish restaurant (hadn't they ever heard of the Moors?). So, with a new look, it seemed the right time for a new name--La Paella Tapas Wine Bar & Restaurant--and, as the name suggests, an updated menu, which includes a larger selection of tapas and paella . For what it's worth, the renovation makes it feel as if it's an entirely new restaurant. What has stayed the same is the high quality of the cuisine and the gracious service of Lauro Gonzalez, who's manned the front of the house for years. The menu now features no less than 20 tapas selections, the majority of them hot offerings that are priced at around $10 and are portioned so that a couple splitting them would have plenty to share, and three people would be afforded a suitable tasting. There are also four styles of paella on the menu--the classic Valencian preparation, as well as one with squid ink, another featuring rabbit, snails and fava beans, and a vegetarian offering--all made for two ($34-$46). My dining companion's dietary restrictions prohibited the ordering of voluminous amounts of rice, so I had to forgo the paella on this occassion, but I'll be back. We spent our calories instead on four tapas , all of them delicious in their own right, but the standout of the group being the pulpo a la Gallega . Whenever I find octopus on a menu, I'm tempted to try it, but I often rue the results. Not this time. I guess in Galicia they know how to tame "devilfish" in the cooking process to make them tender, as this octopus was. The preparation was simple yet elegant: the grilled tentacles were cut into bite-size pieces, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and dusted with Spanish paprika and coarse sea salt. They were served over scalloped potatoes. Cod fish croquettes are the sine qua non of tapas cookery. These deep-fried treats are filled with bacalao , or salted cod fish, that has been whipped to a creamy consistency. The interplay of textures and the garlic aioli that's typically served with this dish are what make these snacks so addictive. The cold tapas we ordered were equally delicious. For those of you who wrinkle your nose at the notion of eating anchovies, you owe it to yourself to try boquerones , the delicately flavored and only mildly salted fresh anchovies that are preferred in Spain. These delicately marinated white-fleshed filets have nothing in common with the yellowish, toxicly salty herringlike fishies sold in jars in this country (which I happen to love and are de riguer in a proper Caesar salad). These boquerones were mild and sweet, presented with minced shallot, garlic, fresh parsley and olive oil. Another must-try off the tapas menu is the fire-roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with chicken, shrimp, nuts and saffron rice served with a saffron aioli and fresh herbs. Stuffed piquillo peppers are the quintessential dish of Navarra in northern Spain, where these sweet, slightly piquant peppers are grown. Not only are these delicious, piquillos are quite good for you as well--high in vitamin C, low in calories, and containing more beta carotene than carrots. We revisited two of our favorite menu offerings--a poached pear salad ($6) and a marinated loin of pork served Andaluzian-style ($20). The pears are poached in Rioja wine, sliced thin and served with endive spears, pistachios and Cabrales blue cheese in a vinaigrette. It's a wonderfully refreshing and unusual salad, a real keeper. The pork was served in a sweet red wine sauce with a puree of sweet potato and sauteed vegetables. The housemade desserts are worth saving room for. The flan, for instance, isn't too sweet and, in fact, carries the slight bitterness caramelized sugar gets when it darkens. Perfect with a double espresso. With the Wall Street area of Norwalk undergoing its own transformation, it's good to know that La Paella will be around for the cultural renassiance that's already begun in the city's historical downtown district. Hours: Dinner: Sun. - Thurs. 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Lunch Buffet: Tues. - Fri. 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Map | Printer-Friendly Page | Email to a Friend
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