La Bodega

Despite Kansas City's sister-city relationship with Seville, Spain, this is really the only place in town to find authentic Spanish tapas and cuisine. With indoor and outdoor dining and a wine list carrying more than 30 wines from Rioja, Spain's premiere wine-producing region, La Bodega is always jammed. That's especially true on Wednesdays, which is paella day. (The traditional Spanish dish includes rice and frequently seafood, although La Bodega also offers a vegetarian option.) Dishes explore all of Spain's cuisines: From the Basque region of the north, the pork chops are served boneless and with a sauce seasoned vigorously with paprika and saffron ($19); from the Catalan region, which includes Barcelona, foods are typically rich, like the Catalan Cannelloni ($18). And dishes from Galicia are often very earthy, such as CaldoGallego, a typical Galician soup that includes cabbage, potatoes, beans and chorizo ($6). Live Spanish- and Latin-influenced music attracts crowds on Thursday evenings.