La Espanola: A Gourmet Spanish Deli in the South Bay!

Paella is a dish that I truly enjoy. I’ve never made it before and have always ordered it in a restaurant. Michael told me about La Española in Harbor City and so I kept that filed away in the back of my brain as a potential source for paella ingredients.

As a food enthusiast, I’m truly blessed that my wife is so forgiving about my quirks. I remembered what Michael had told me and decided to find La Española on a recent Saturday.

View of La Espanola from the street

View of La Espanola from the street

As I drove through Harbor City, I wasn’t confident that I was near the place. The area appeared to be industrial and I was quite surprised to find La Espanola in a large warehouse.

Roasted red peppers, beans, vinegar, chocolate

Roasted red peppers, beans, vinegar, chocolate

Nice assortment of extra virgin olive oil

Nice assortment of extra virgin olive oil

An ecletic assortment of Spanish wines

An eclectic assortment of Spanish wines

Given that La Espanola is located in a warehouse, I was surprised to find out how cozy their retail operation was. Canned goods, oil, olives, crackers, pasta, and wine filled the front part of the shop. The back was almost exclusively dedicated as a Spanish deli.

Assortment of Spanish chorizo

Assortment of Spanish chorizo

A very good assortment of aged sausage, ham, Spanish chorizo, and cheese filled the refrigerated cases. They also had some of their deli products sliced for individual sampling. I learned that Saturday is the day that they prepare and sell paella!

Bomba rice is of the short grain variety and is known to absorb 30% more liquid

Bomba rice is of the short grain variety and is known to absorb 30% more liquid

I picked up a number of ingredients so that my wife could make paella at home. However, having the chance encounter of enjoying the ‘real deal’, I purchased one to go.

Cheese, cured meat, olives and fresh baked bread

Cheese, cured meat, olives and fresh baked bread

...and this was the bottom container - paella.

…and this was the bottom container – paella.

Tucked away behind some shrubs is an outdoor shaded area with bench seating. A number of people ordered paella and bocadillos (sandwiches) and shared everything.

The next time, I’ll have to bring some other people so that we can sample many items!

Oh, and if you’re curious about how my wife’s paella turned out….

My wife's paella

My wife’s paella

 

Related Posts with Thumbnails

About the Author

Follow Bryan on twitter for the latest and greatest in food trucks and street food. @btsunoda.

One Response to “La Espanola: A Gourmet Spanish Deli in the South Bay!”

  1. Haha! I remember you commenting on how good her paella was.

    Interesting how it’s in an industrial area & not a retail area. But it’s loaded with so much different items they probably needed the space.

    Thanks for another great read Bryan!

    Trackback/Pingback