Many Americans think they know what paella is. The deep, rust-colored rice. The crispy edges. Mussels, or shrimp, carefully nestled in the pan. Peas throughout, and sometimes even chorizo. But ...

Prior to 2018, Los Angeles’s Spanish food scene had ebbed and flowed but never reached a high tide. In the mid-aughts, there were mostly casual spots like Spain Restaurant on Glendale Boulevard ...