Castile Storms Back

OC is haunted by the ghosts of failed Spanish concepts. In the idylls of Ladera Ranch, there was once a short-lived but well-meaning restaurant called Picante whose specialty was paellas baked in pans an acre wide. A few years later, a Spain-based...

One of the first things I saw at Vaca, Amar Santana’s new Spanish restaurant across from South Coast Plaza, was the ham leg propped up on a proper jamonera, an L-shaped board with two metal stirrups specifically designed for displaying Spanish...

Have you ever tasted real paella? And by “real,” I should specify that I mean not the stuff you eat with sangria down by the beach or even the lovely yellow rice with seafood that you have to order a day in advance at Cuban restaurants, but the...

By the time the negra fideuà makes its appearance on your table at Otoño, you’ll have already worked through a few plates of tapas — triangles of Manchego cheese smeared with Asturian honey, tiny bowls of paprika-dusted Marcona almonds, plates...

Reincarnation. Photo by Edwin Goei Before going to Pan y Vino on Balboa Peninsula, it might be wise to consider the time of year. Right now, during the height of summer, this area can get as crowded as Disneyland on July 4. But since it’s located...