La Española Meats

Surrounded by auto repair shops in the Harbor City area, La Española is a semi-hidden grocery store and deli that sells every Spanish food item under the sun: house-cured jamon, manchego, olive oil, wine, and more types of tinned fish than you can count. While we’re there stocking up on vermouth, we like to order one of their affordable bocadillos: long, skinny sandwiches on crunchy oil-drizzled bread stuffed with things like serrano ham, chorizo, or tomatoey anchovies. They're also famous for the batches of paella they cook up every Saturday—just be sure to call ahead to pre-order, as they sell out fast.

photo credit: Kim Fox