From Tapas to Paella, Say Si Si to Teleferic Barcelona in Scottsdale

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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How do you say yummy in Spanish? Teleferic Barcelona! Okay, we know it would actually be "sabroso" but when we think about delicious Spanish food we think about the menu at Teleferic Barcelona in Scottsdale, Arizona. And what a menu it is!

The restaurant, located in the shopping and dining mecca of Scottsdale Fashion Square, offers a wide variety of mouthwatering tapas and numerous kinds of their signature dish, the Catalan specialty, paella.

Teleferic Barcelona in Scottsdale has more than a dozen tapas on offer and we tried a bunch of them, including Crab Croquetas which are crab croquetas topped with tuna sashimi and spicy aioli. These are the most-popular tapas on the menu and we can see why!

We also really enjoyed Wagyu Empanadas made with braised short rib, Manchego crackers and Mojo sauce. Another of our favorites was Patatas Bravas which are tangy potato chunklets topped with Brava sauce and aioli. We got them "regular" but next time we're going to try Patatas Bravas "beast mode" which is where crispy pieces of Iberian ham are added to the treat.

Another dish we really enjoyed (we could eat these all day!) was La Gamba, bacon-wrapped shrimp with Cajun aioli sauce. Among the other tapas choices are Iberian Oyster, Tuna Tacos, Ham Croquetas, Pollo Empanadas (chicken) and Salmon Tartare. While tapas are often also referred to as "small plates" the servings at Teleferic Barcelona are very generous portions.

We were fortunate with our visit to Teleferic Barcelona to not only taste one of the restaurant's delicious paella varieties, but also to participate in a paella "masterclass," something the eatery will be offering to patrons from time to time in the future. Our class was led by Chef Oscar Cabezas, who is also the Culinary Director for all Teleferic Barcelona locations throughout the country, assisted by Chef Ruben Nunez.

The pair demonstrated the process for preparing paella properly, working with a large paella pan that was heated over a propane burner located on the restaurant's patio. Each step was thoroughly explained, beginning with the making of the "sofrito" base; Chef Ruben tended to the mixture of olive oil and tomato sauce with garlic, initially adding some pieces of pork sausage. Teleferic Barcelona has six different paellas on the menu, including the most-ordered Paella Negra with squid ink, gulf shrimp, clams, scallops and broccolini and the delight that is Fiesta Paella, a surf & turf variety with lobster and ribeye steak.

Once the sofrito was ready for our paella, Chef Oscar showed how and when to add chicken stock, rice and finally a couple of seafood ingredients, shrimp and mussels. Anticipation to taste was high as the giant pan of paella was carried into the restaurant to be plated. And when everybody's plate came back, the paella was as scrumptious as you would imagine. Everybody had a glass of spicy sangria, Teleferic Barcelona's signature drink, to wash down the paella. And to top it all off, we munched on chocolate and toffee churros for dessert! It was an extremely rewarding meal and experience overall as we learned all about these authentic Catalan dishes, and how to make paella at home. And speaking of which, Teleferic Barcelona has an impressive pantry in the entryway where patrons can purchase the basic ingredients for paella, except meats and seafood, including different size paella pans. Ingredients can be purchased separately or in kits.

While any visit to Teleferic Barcelona in Scottsdale is special (pick from 200 varieties of Spanish wine!) there are also special events taking place on the weekend. On Saturdays the restaurant hosts Fiesta Night from 6 to 10 pm where DJs and dancers add to the immersive dining experience. Then on Sundays from noon to 3 pm there's Brunch & Beats where a DJ spinning "feel good" daytime music and a roaming guitarist add to dining pleasure. A rotating selection of items not currently on the menu will be available too.

For more information about Teleferic Barcelona Scottsdale, to make reservations and to inquire about the paella masterclass, call (657) 282-5395 or go here.

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