Bethesda's Spanish Diner Celebrating World Paella Day Through Oct. 2

BETHESDA, MD — Spanish Diner is celebrating World Paella Day at its Bethesda Row restaurant through Oct. 2, with paella and other specials.

The restaurant, at 7271 Woodmont Ave., is owned by Chef José Andrés, who lives in Bethesda with his family.

“While we enjoy paella all year long, we feel extra celebratory when World Paella Day rolls around in September,” the restaurant said. “We're honoring the holiday with two full weeks of paella specials, from September 19th through October 2nd.”

Spanish Diner kicked off its annual Paella Fest in Bethesda Row Sunday night, with live entertainment and food.

Paella started as a “humble countryside meal, cooked by farmers and herders in the fields and mountains surrounding Valencia and Alicante,” according to Andrés.

“Now it is world-famous, a symbol of Spanish cuisine so recognizable that it has even become its own emoji,” he said.