Dagabi Cucina was there first, with a Monday paella night in Boulder

Dagabi Cucina

Cafe Aion and Centro just rolled out dueling paella nights on Wednesdays in Boulder -- but it turns out that these specials are a couple of years behind another longstanding paella deal in town: the Monday night special at Dagabi Cucina, 3970 North Broadway in Boulder.

The restaurant, which is tucked behind Lucky's Market, always features a seafood paella for $19. But on Mondays, the kitchen gets more creative, starting with the same Calasparra rice imported from Spain and adding a variety of ingredients, depending on what's in season and available. Recent paella specials included a black-octopus version and a rendition with marinated pork, Spanish Bilbao chorizo, red and green peppers, peas, artichokes and saffron aioli; that special was just $12.

The rest of the week, Dagabi Cucina serves a menu of dishes rooted in Spain -- including such tapas as Spanish tortilla, pancetta wrapped shrimp and steamed clams -- and in Italy, with wood-fired pizzas and pastas. There's a wine and beer list that focuses on bottles from Spain and Italy, too, as well as a full bar.

For more information, call 303-786-9004.