Photo by theqspeaks.

Dish of the Week: Paella

Where: Jaleo

Now that the temperatures are cooling a bit, you just might be ready to eat some warm food. And now is the perfect time to tuck into a platter of fragrant, saffron-tinted paella. A specialty of Valencia, Spain, paella is a soupy, saucy rice dish usually studded with vegetables and meat or seafood. The most common preparation is mixed paella, an everything-but-the-carving-board affair that often involves chorizo, chicken, shrimp, and clams. However, in the next two weeks, you’ll get a chance to sample some more unusual renditions of this Spanish favorite.

Jaleo is once again hosting its annual Paella Festival, starting next Monday and running through Aug. 11. All three Jaleo locations (Penn Quarter, Crystal City, and Bethesda) will serve a variety of paella specials, such as the Arroz Ibérico, a paella made with acorn-fed Ibérico pork ribs and artichokes. Other offerings include the Arroz Meloso de Verduras con Bacalao, a creamy Spanish cod and vegetable paella; Arroz Seco on Pichon, a wood pigeon paella; or the exotic Fideua Negra con Gambas, a black paella made with pasta and head-on shrimp. Stop by the Crystal City Jaleo (2250 Crystal Drive, Arlington) on Monday for the festival kick-off party and enjoy free paella and cocktails from 6 to 8 p.m. (free but with a suggested donation of $20 to the World Central Kitchen). Email rsvp@jaleo.com to reserve a spot.

Small Bites

Big fish
Izakaya Seki (1117 V St. NW) will be celebrating their one year anniversary with all of the tuna. On Wednesday at 5 pm., chef Hiroshi Seki will butcher a whole 100-pound yellow fin tuna to the delight (or horror) of diners. This will be followed by a three day, $15 all-you-can-eat tuna sashimi bender. Depending on how much raw fish you can eat in one sitting, that’s a pretty amazing deal.

D.C. gets Fatty
The D.C. restaurant scene has been so kind to Stephen Starr (of the always-packed Le Diplomate) that he’s planning to bring another restaurant to our fair city. Starr recently partnered with the folks behind New York’s Fatty Crab and Fatty ‘Cue chain. The plan is to take the Maylasian-inspired fare national, and the first outpost will be in D.C. The group is hoping to located an existing space and open in three to six months.

Party like a local
There are still a few days left to enjoy Eat Local First Week. Swing by Union Market (1309 Fifth Street NE) on Saturday between 1-7 p.m. for their Farm-to-Street Party, a festival featuring over 125 local food vendors, cooking demonstrations, and speakers. The event has a suggested $5 donation, and tickets are available online.