Executive Chef Rufino Bautista of Estadio is introducing large-format paella as a weekly special at the 110-seat contemporary Spanish restaurant in Logan Circle. Beginning June 8th, Estadio will offer a different paella special, available Wednesdays only during dinner service from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Chef Bautista’s paella is made with a base of Spanish Bomba rice, an aromatic sofrito, and saffron. The dish will serve four to five guests, and take thirty minutes to prepare as it is cooked to order. Estadio’s paella specials will rotate each week, with ingredients sourced according to what is in season and available to the chef. To start, the restaurant plans to offer specials such as Pescados & Mariscos Paella ($55), made with calamari, shrimp, scallops, mussels and Chicken Chorizo Morcilla Paella ($32), made with chicken thighs, baby chorizos, & crumbles of Morcilla sausage on a rotating basis. The Vegetarian Paella ($26) will be available every Wednesday, and will be made with mushroom, asparagus and Piquillo peppers. Each variety is made with a different stock to complement the ingredients, and drizzled with aioli to finish.
The available variety will be posted to Estadio’s social media channels each week, kicking off with seafood paella on June 8th. Given the communal nature of the dish and discerning wine program, each paella will have recommended wine pairings in varying price ranges; for example, the June 8th seafood paella will include pairing options such as the La Caña Albariño 2015, Rias Baixas ($37) and the Viña Gravonia Crianza 2006, Rioja ($55).