Birthday Dinner at Alegrias Spanish Restaurant: Arroz Negro and Tapas

Lately, I've been inspired by Spanish and Latin American culture due to some nostalgia about my trip to Barcelona about a year ago and interest in Argentine film (well, more like an Argentine actor).

For my 25th birthday dinner, I wanted to go to a Spanish restaurant -- specifically, one that serves arroz negro -- a paella blackened with squid ink. It was my favorite part of my culinary adventure in Spain. It's hard to find Spanish restaurants that serve this, especially in the size and price that Alegrias Spanish Restaurant. The place is family-owned and have been around for about 16 years. The ambiance is very homey, dimly lit, and intimate. They have a nice wine selection that focuses on Spain and Latin America, and also feature Spanish beers.

We started off the meal with a pitcher of decent sangria, which perfectly filled up glasses for 4 people. It was well-balanced, fruity but not so much to deter you from the taste of the wine.

Sangria Pitcher, $20

We then ordered 4 hot tapas plates: Callos a la Madrileña, Patatas Alioli, Calamares 
 Fritos con Alioli, and Gambas al Ajillo.

Right: Calamares Fritos con Alioli ($9.95), Back: Patatas Alioli ($6.95), Callos a la Madrileña ($8.95)

Gambas al Ajillo ($9.95)

The tapas are served first as it takes 30 minutes to prepare, so might as well curb the hunger with these amazingly flavorful small plates. The callos is filled with rich and flavorful tripe derived from slices of chorizo and hints of saffron sizzling in tomato sauce. Gambas al ajillo is chockful of jumbo shrimp that is slightly spicy in a sauce with bits of roasted garlic. The calamares fritos con alioli are perfectly crisped rings served with an orange garlic aioli sauce. This same sauce is used to slather the fried cubes of potato in the patatas alioli, which makes it all the more addictive. I presumed that this same sauce would be served alongside the arroz negro, as it is practically the "cherry on top" of the dish. 

Arroz Negro ($18.50) and Paella a la Valenciana con Chorizo Español ($22.95)

Lo and behold, there was a mound of that garlic aioli sitting in the middle of the arroz negro. You can either mix it all in or dollop it on to your serving -- I prefer to do the latter. The paella valenciana with Spanish chorizo was filled to the brim with seafood, chicken, and slices of succulent chorizo. I was amazed at the size of both paellas, as they each are good enough for 3 people. Having two of them just means more wealth to be shared. Compared to what I had in Spain, the paellas were both drier (more to my liking) and I couldn't resist the crispy burnt edges. I was very impressed with both of them and will definitely be ordering them on my next visit. 

Free flan for my birthday and Panqueque de Manzanas ($7)

I failed to take a picture of the Panqueque de Manzanas, as it was flambéed with rum. It's a crepe-like pancake that's filled with sweet slices of apples and topped with vanilla ice cream and a lot of rum. The flan was incredibly creamy and sweet in its sugary sauce. Both were a great way to end such a savory dinner. I left the restaurant feeling full but not TOO full. I still had enough room to have some birthday cake later in the night.

Location: 

2018 Lombard Street  

San Francisco

Open nightly at 5:30pm for dinner

Filipino-Spanish Cuisine: Patio Filipino

I'm not typically a fan of fancy Filipino restaurants, simply because I don't think they need to be. I enjoy feasting on a hefty mound of rice, succulent lechon kawali, and saucy kare-kare off of a sectioned plate from turo-turo eateries. Turo-turo means "point-point" in tagalog, because that's how you order your food. You walk up to an array of unnamed dishes and point at whatever you want. It's a Filipino family-style small restaurant, and is usually the kind where my family and I dine. 


But this time, we decided to try something new with an added twist. 

Patio Filipino is a Filipino-Spanish cuisine restaurant located off El Camino Real in San Bruno. Their menu is a mish-mash of Filipino and Spanish dishes, from Pork Sinigang (pork and veggines in a tamarind broth) to Callos alla Madrillena (tripe, tendons, and chorizo in tomato sauce). Filipino cuisine is hard to describe, but it is definitely diversely influenced by its surrounding countries and Spanish colonial history.

To be quite honest, I wasn't so sure about this restaurant. I liked how there was a frontal patio dining area. But upon walking in I saw formally dressed waiters, two dimly lit dining rooms with neatly presented tables, and to top things off I heard pretty dated, cheesy songs. This wasn't my typical Filipino restaurant ambiance and believe me I tried really hard to put my harsh judgments aside. Besides, it is a Filipino-Spanish restaurant, so I shouldn't make a big deal out of it. Also my parents and I were there for the Spanish food, and wanted to check out the notable dishes that were featured on Check Please! Bay Area.

Patio Filipino is known for their Paella Valenciana, a heavenly combination of chorizo, mussel, scallops, shrimps, and chicken in saffron rice. This order, which costs $22.95, serves 4-6 people. By no means did I finish this all on my own, although I could have easily done so. I came with my mom and dad. 

You need to allow 30 minutes for them to prepare it, and in fact, my dad was able to call in our order ahead of time. I recommend it unless you don't mind the wait. 


I went to Spain towards the end of my stay in Europe this past April, and had some really amazing paella dishes. My favorite of all of them would have to be arroz negro, a combination of rice, squid, and its ink. I loved it especially since it was served with a side of garlic aioli, which I hoped this restaurant could have done as it is typical in Spain. Still, it was an enjoyable dish, and quite a deal given its price. 

We also had Calamares Fritos, calamari served with what they call "Patio sauce," a chili sauce and mayonaisse mixture. It was great to have it alongside the paella in terms of texture and it added a boost of seafood. They were perfectly crisped and paired well with the sauce.

Location: 

1770 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA