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Culinary Mysteries Solved


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Published: Apr 24, 2007

Q: I really like the lobster paella at Amada (217 Chestnut St.). It's made with fava beans and smoked paprika aioli. Can you suggest other good paellas?

A: Vying for the tastiest paella in Old City, Cebu (123 Chestnut St., 215-629-1100) Chef Guillermo Veloso blends saffron and curry-scented short-grain rice with garlicky longaniza sausage, wood-roasted peppers, tender chicken adobo and fresh shellfish. At Sabor Latino (33 Garrett Road, Upper Darby, 610-352-8414), meaty additions are thrown onto the burner in their signature paella marinara, made with fresh, plump squid, mussels, shrimp, lobster and Spanish rice.

For peeps into Puerto Rican sofrito, Nicky Fischer's (15-17 Limekiln Pike, Glenside, 215-887-6465) paella features calamari, fish and braised chicken cooked in globs of flavorful tomato base and served with a bitter-yet-toasty rice. For the more adventurous, Bear Rock Cafe (192 W. Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, 610-265-6505) warps traditional paella into a spicy soup by loading a kettle full of rice, red and green peppers, tender clams, seasoned chicken and spicy sausage — all of which are doused in a saffron-infused golden chicken stock and finished with a squeeze of lemon.