It’s Spring! That means the weather starts to get pretty (well, not currently), days start getting longer, and Dollywood reopens! With the reopening of Dollywood, Festival of Nations returns!
Festival of Nations celebrates cultures from all around the world. The shows are fantastic and the food is delicious.
On March 16, John and I went to Dollywood for the opening day and was pleasantly surprised to learn that, as season passholders, we would get to try the Paella for only $5! So, we made it a point to try it. When we got to the stand, we ordered and were informed by the really sweet lady that there would be a 15-20 minute wait. They had run out. We figured we would wait for it.
The Paella is a Spanish dish that is located in Market Square at Rivertown Junction in the quick service location that usually has the Philly Steaks.
The Paella, which is technically called “Paella de la Montana”, has the official description:
Originally from Valencia, Spain, paella traces its roots to the mid-19th century. There are several versions of paella, but the version here includes a flavorful combination of Valencian Rice, Piquillo Peppers, Spanish Chorizo, Chicken, Peas, Onions, Saffron, Grilled Lemon & Herbs.
When we were given the Paella, we noticed first that the lemons on mine and on John’s Paella weren’t grilled. I just figured with the volume of business they had, it just wasn’t feasible to grill them. I don’t think that it detracted from the dish though.
The Paella is honestly one of the best things I’ve ever tasted at Dollywood. It walks a faint line between spicy and non-spicy and it’s delicious. It was hard to beleive that it was that good and was just a special item for the Festival. In the past, the festival booths served food that wasn’t all that…well…fresh.
This dish was absolutely worth $5. The normal price is $6.99 and is a great portion for the price!
We’ve been back to Dollywood since that day and John got the Paella again…and it was just as good, and it wasn’t as busy, so it wasn’t just because it was discounted on opening day. The lemons still weren’t grilled, but hey, it’s still amazing.
If you’re heading to Dollywood’s Festival of Nations, be sure to try this amazing international food offering!
Dollywood’s Festival of Nations continues until April 9, 2018.
The Dish with John and Joie 