Jaleo Crystal City – Arlington, Va

Earlier this week, I was invited to a kickoff party for Jose Andres’s 11^th Annual Paella Festival (July 29^th – Aug 11^th) at Jaleo Crystal City. 

The event benefited Jose Andres’s charity, World Central Kitchen and was to promote the 2 week long festival. There were a number of paella stations set up for the event, each presenting its own types of flavors.

Paellas:

Arroz Iberico de bellota – A paella with Iberico belota ribs, sausage, and baby artichokes

Arroz Caldoso de Pollo, Conejo, y Acelgas – A soupy rice with chicken, rabbit, and swiss chard

Arroz de Verduras de Temporada – Traditional paella of summer vegetables

Fideuá Negra con Gambas – A paella of black "fideos" with head-on shrimp and calamari

Other Dishes Include:

Gazpacho

Flan

My favorites of the night were the Fideuá Negra con Gambas (shrimp) and the Arroz de Verduras de Temporada (summer vegetables). The Fideuá Negra con Gambas was great due to the texture of the black fideos and the head on tiger shrimp. The summer vegetable paella was a favorite since it had the greatest crust out of all the paellas. It was cooked thoroughly and charred to perfection, which is exactly what a paella should taste like.

I definitely need to applaud all the staff at Jaleo Crystal City. The event was run very well and everyone was having a great time. The addition of live music also added to the overall experience. I will probably having a paella craving within the next week so count me in. I’ll see you at Jaleo!

4/5 Stars

Arroz de Verduras de Temporada – Traditional paella of summer vegetables

Entrance Area

Arroz Iberico de bellota – A paella with Iberico belota ribs, sausage, and baby artichoke

Gazpacho

Fideuá Negra con Gambas – A paella of black "fideos" with head-on shrimp and calamari