The trío selection dessert plate included a delicious helping of churros, torrija and arroz tres leches. (photo by Rance Collins)

I was raised in a tiny town in central Texas. We had great Tex-Mex and great beef, but the international food offerings were limited. What existed in culinary diversity was of the fast-food variety, and even then you had to drive an hour or so to find. Thank God for Los Angeles, and its cross-section of offerings. Here, I’m finally learning what this whole food thing is all about. Part of my journey through these reviews is something of a manifesto to expand my palate.

All of this is to say that I was not particularly familiar with Spanish cuisine prior to going to Teleferic Barcelona, which I knew had to be the most authentic place in L.A. to immerse myself in Spain’s food culture – after all, it has a sister restaurant located in Barcelona.

As always, I took along Boyfriend, who is far more traveled than I. Had he not been there, though, our waitress Marta could’ve easily held my inexperienced hand through the menu, which is divided into tapas, platos, greens, authentic paellas and desserts. If you’ve been reading my column, you know that the greens section never stood a chance, although there was a hearty choice of various salads if that’s your thing.

We started with ham croquetas. Now, this is where I’m going to warn you, dear reader, that I’m going to make a lot of Southern fixin’ comparisons throughout – it’s what I know. You can take the boy out of Texas … and all that jazz.

On to the food.

The ham croquetas were one of my favorite things I’ve ever eaten. They reminded me of hush puppies. Now hush puppies are made from cornmeal batter, but the vibe was the same: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The croquetas were like biting into the best mashed potatoes you’ve ever had, with a crispy exterior to make it interesting. They were topped with just the slightest bit of ham and aioli. Delicious.

We ordered a few mocktails, each of which had a corresponding cocktail on the menu. The Barceloneta sangria delighted my fruity sensibilities with lemonade, prickly pear, honey, rosemary, orange and mixed berries. For a more minty option, the Gothic Mojito had a tang to it, complementing its fruit purée ingredients. Later, we tasted similarly mint tinged The Tourist, which also had lychee juice, raspberries, honey and lime. My personal favorite the Enebro and Tonic was wonderfully refreshing (yet kicky) with spiced juniper distillate, fever-tree tonic and grapefruit.

Moving on to the platos, I let Boyfriend take over ordering. While we were both tempted by the Catalan Tomahawk 40-ounce prime ribeye steak, which rushed by us elegantly plated on its way to another table, we decided we had to save enough room for additional dishes and ordered the prime Wellington. When it arrived, the server injected it (literally) with a sweet sauce that oozed out its crisp shell. The beef was perfectly cooked and wonderfully juicy, again reminding me of another Southern delicacy: the pot pie. So, if you’re like me and only knew the term Wellington from its frequent references in media, that’s your analogy and you will not be disappointed.

When we got to the authentic paellas, what we considered our main course, it was time to really taste what Spanish cuisine is all about. We chose the Ibérico pork paella. The corn-fed pork chop, pork belly and chicken were presented at the center of a large, round dish, atop crispy, sticky rice and mushrooms. This was Boyfriend’s favorite dish, and I could tell he was having a tough time allowing me to have my fair half of the course. Luckily, the paellas serve two, and the serving size is large enough it could really feed three or four, depending on how hungry you are.

We were very, very hungry, and that’s clearly why we decided to go whole hog on our dessert: the trío selection. As you might have guessed, this is a sampling of three different Teleferic Barcelona desserts: churros, torrija and arroz tres leches. I honestly don’t even know where to begin, because each was its own kind of delectable.

The churros were bite-sized and fried to perfection. They were also uniquely Spanish, filled with a “just right” helping of chocolate. The churros were Boyfriend’s choice for dessert winner, and he is a churro snob – and by that I mean he will eat any churro any time, but he will also critique it mercilessly. The torrija is described as French toast on the menu, but it reminded me more of a sponge cake in consistency. Served with Catalan cream and vanilla ice cream, it was the kind of dessert that fits right in after the last meal of the day and as a special treat for the first meal of the day. The arroz tres leches was a rice pudding with Crema catalana foam and jelly. The sweet concoction had a delightful infusion of caramel, and as a caramel stan, this was enough for it to be my personal winner in the dessert category.

Now filled up for our next two or three meals, we finished with coffee as we enjoyed the chill vibe of the shaded outdoor patio. Properly shieled from San Vicente’s neighboring buzz, the enthusiastic chatter of the neighboring tables made for a relaxing experience. The indoor space, too, invokes a similarly relaxed, but slightly more upscale Mid-Century modern feel. Either is inviting for genuine bonding, be it a date, brunch with friends or a family gathering.

With Teleferic Barcelona under my belt, I’ve now experienced another from Los Angeles’ stellar food portfolio, and whether you’re a Spanish cuisine novice or expert, I think you’ll find more than enough to love at this lovely Brentwood establishment.

For information, visit telefericbarcelona.com/los-angeles or call (424)832-7595. Teleferic Barcelona is located at 11930 San Vicente Blvd.