08-05-2025
Rare In New York, Authentic Spanish Food––and Flamenco––Is The Draw At Socarrat
What makes the ideal paella? To listen to Lolo Manso, owner of Socarrat, 'The quintessence of the perfect paella and for which the restaurant is named is the delectable, sensuous crust that forms on the bottom of the paella pan when the liquid is rendered and the rice reaches its peak of succulence.'
Indeed, that brown-black crust is the most desirable part of paella, the festive dish of Valencian rice and other ingredients cooked in a wide circular paella pan over an open fire. My first reaction to the dish, in the highly regarded paella restaurant La Pepica in Valencia, was that the drama of the cooking and serving and the scraping up of the socarrat outweighed my impression of its flavor, which was a bit bland. But at Socarrat, with locations in Chelsea and Nolita, I loved what I ate of the steamy, softened rice, chicken, shrimp, mussels and more, all of it fully flavorful right down to the last crunchy, smoky morsel of the soccarat itself.
A communal table at Socarrat .
ATSUSHI TOMIOKA
There was much more that I liked at the NoLita branch Socarrat (there is also one in Chelsea and midtown), which on Tuesday nights at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30, provides the added pleasure of fiery flamenco music and dancing. The room and bar are rustic, largely fashioned in wood, with a communal table that somehow manages to maintain a comfortable noise level, even when the two guitarists are flailing away and the sharp crack of the beautifully costumed dancer's heels and staccato click of her castanets are in full flourish.
The menu is large, with an array of tapas, though they come in larger portions than the bite-sized pintxos you find in Spain. I can never resist gambas aj ajillo of fat shrimp sizzling in a ceramic dish with olive oil and the aroma of garlic, or the creamy croquetaswith their golden outer crust. Socarrat also serves grilled Spanish octopus Galician style with cubed potatoes and a lashing of paprika oil. Pan con tomate is the simplest of dishes––country toast rubbed with fresh tomato, olive oil, and garlic. Very much true to form was a dish of sauteed oyster mushrooms, cremini, shimeji, maitake and shredded Manchego cheese and a celery root puree.
I recommend your table share the wooden board of campero––a selection of Serrano ham, chorizo and salchichón along with Manchego, Idiazabél and Mahón cheeses with almonds and olives.
There are seven paellas, including the thin noodles variant called fideuá de Mar y Montaña with Brussels sprouts, squid shrimp, and a mushroom sofrito.
The house paella is called 'Socarrat,' made with an abundance of meaty chicken, chorizo, shrimp, white fish, squid mussels and fava beans peppers and tomato. I liked even more the carne of pork chop chunks simmered in the juices with chicken chorizo, snow peas and mushroom whose soccarat perfectly crispy and nutty.
Six deserts end off the meal with delectable renderings of classic Basque cheesecake with strawberry sauce; caramelized brioche soaked in milk with lemon curd; a rich, velvety flan; and my favorite, fried churros fritters to be dunked in hot chocolate sauce.
Socarrat has an admirable wine list of Spanish bottlings, but I took a chance on a pitcher of sangria, which I loved because it was neither too sweet nor boozy.
Meanwhile, not ten feet away, the flamenco dancer was stamping her feet in syncopation, flourishing her ruffled dress and flinging her arms above her head while the two guitarists provided the Spanish soul music. Good reasons to pound he tables in appreciation.
New York has far fewer true Spanish restaurants than it should, and many years ago 'Spanish' really meant more Cuban because of where the chefs came from. But no one can dispute the seriousness with which Lolo Manso takes what he believes is his mission. You can tell by the smile on his face that is returned in kind as he goes from table to table.
SOCARRAT
284 Mulberry Street
212-2190101
Open for lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner nightly; brunch Sat. & Sun.
