When one thinks of Spanish cuisine, what comes to mind is sangria, patatas bravas and, most often, Paella. It’s a complex dish, absolutely requiring the inclusion of the most expensive spice in the world: saffron. Paella is typically cooked in massive batches on huge, flat-bottomed skillets, typically measured by the meter. The nature of the dish necessitates a communal experience, as you’re not going to easily eat through 30 servings of rice, shrimp, meat and a bouquet of spices.
All this to say: Unless you’ve been to Spain, it’s unlikely that you’ve ever had the chance to be a part of the experience.
Enter Paellaworks. From humble beginnings as a one-off catering event to running multiple feeds per month and private events, the small team behind the name has managed to capture the spirit and community aspect of this culinary unicorn right here in northwest Washington.
Passing through the highly curated and wonderful Slough Food in Edison, I stepped out onto their back patio on a sunny and cool December morning. I’d arrived only 15 minutes after the start of the paella event, but almost every seat, bench and stool was occupied. A pair of enormous pans simmered to the side, tended by Paellawork’s Russell Duncan. We paid — $25 dollars a head — and immediately launched into an interrogation on the methods, ingredients and the why of the whole operation.
The rice is sourced from a specialty store in Seattle, massive grains of toothsome Spanish-grown bomba rice. Saffron is courtesy of Mediterranean Specialties in Bellingham, so no chance of the inferior flavored and dyed paper so commonly passed off as precious saffron threads. The prawns are wild-caught gulf prawns, the sausage spiced and flavorful. Everything is intentional. It’s unlikely that the average diner would notice, or frankly care, if a cheaper alternative was used — but, as Duncan says, he would notice.
Soon plates laden with paella are placed in front of us, along with a stack of moist towelettes. Today’s dish, specifically, is paella de pato: duck! It’s a holiday classic, fitting for the season.
It’s a delicious meal: Saffron is distinctive, earthy and floral, with just the barest bitterness. The chew of the duck breast is balanced by the tenderness of the sausage, with the sausage lending some wonderful spice to the duck. The prawns, cooked in the shell, lend their flavor to the rice, which is plump and firm. The dish is so incredibly complex, but everything comes together.
But what stands out the most to me is how incredibly social the whole experience was. It was clear that so many of the people dining around us had done this before, calling out to friends and neighbors as they walked out onto the patio.
Slough Food has maintained a neighborhood reputation as a place to meet and socialize in Edison, a blessedly sleepy farming community. It’s still small enough for most people to know their neighbors by name but stacked with excellent places to eat and drink: Next door is Tweets Cafe, a legendary breakfast joint. A bit farther on the other side is Terramar Brewstillery, an incredible brewery noted for its small bottling runs using hyper-local ingredients.
Slough Food, the regular host of Paellaworks, is stocked with thoughtfully curated wine, spirits and beer; cheese, meat and breads; and anything else you could need for a spectacular picnic. Opened in 2004 by John DiGloria, he recently made the announcement that the keys would be handed off at the end of 2024. This paella event, in a sense, was a going-away party.
It’s rare to see a community turn out with such gusto for an owner stepping down. Indeed, I suspect that many people couldn’t pick out the owner of their favorite restaurant from a police lineup. The impact that this tidy little cafe and market has had on the community of Edison is readily apparent.
Leaving with a belly full of paella and a bag laden with prosciutto, cheeses, honey and spices had me feeling positively continental. Edison is just out of the way enough that they don’t get many curious passersby, but there are some truly hidden gems tucked away in this corner of Skagit County.
You can catch Paellaworks doing events across the region — including in Bellingham at Ponderosa Beer + Books — but I have to recommend combining it with Slough Food. The drive is gorgeous, the food is bountiful and the community dreamy in its tranquility. Info: paellaworks.com.
Paellaworks is taking January off from events at Slough Food; however, they plan to expand their presence at the shop in 2025. Visit their website for updated event listings.
Mark Saleeb is a frequent enjoyer of food. Find him at instagram.com/eats.often.
