"I think I have finally found the best place for paella in the Bay Area. Ever since my visit to Valencia, the birthplace of paella, where I was impressed by Casa Roberto, I have been trying to find somewhere in the Bay Area to satisfy my craving for paella from time to time. I had heard good things about Teleferic Barcelona, but in my opinion, while their tapas are great, their paella is just wrong (and runny). Finally, I checked out La Catalana, and from the moment I took the first bite of the paella (and the socarrat), I knew this was it. This is probably the closest you can get to authentic paella in the Bay Area compared to what you can get in Spain. I don't know what it is exactly, but there is something that separates good seafood paella from the others. Even in Valencia, we visited a couple of famous places for seafood paella and were disappointed. Then Casa Roberto made me realize what was missing the taste of the seafood. Maybe the brain juice of the shrimp, liquid from clams, or something else. But a good paella has this unique seafood taste I am craving for, and La Catalana's Arroz Pelado has it, as well as the socarrat. Other dishes are also great. Pulpo is done right, soft inside, crispy outside. Xai is a surprise. I've never had a lamb slider before, but this is good (and filling, which is the main reason we didn't manage to finish the paella :P). The sangria is a bit interesting. I think I tasted strawberry jam, probably homemade, but still unexpected. It's a bit heavier/sweeter than I like, but still a good drink. The desserts are great. No complaints about the churros, caramel pudding, and pistachio ice cream. Especially the caramel pudding. Especially since it's on the house. :D Not only is the food great, but the service is also excellent. Josh was our waiter, and he did all he could to make our special occasion even more special. His work convinced me that La Catalana deserves five stars, even though I have only visited once. Keep it up! My now favorite Spanish restaurant in the Bay."
