Where We Dined: Spain

Murcia - Las Cadenas http://www.restaurantemurcia.com/las-cadenas/203 (the link is in Spanish, but you can get the translation)
If you are ever in Murcia , or the Murcia area, please stop by and have a meal here. We enjoyed a very different paella called "Huertana" - it is a vegetable paella and the chef grilled the veggies and artistically arranged them on the dish. It was delicious and such a nice departure from the more popular seafood/chicken paellas. The restaurant is old world Spanish elegance: from decor to service. Enjoy a bottle of local Murcian wine with your meal - the wine nor the meal will disappoint!
Update Sept 2014 - Sadly, Las Cadenas Restaurant closed it doors summer 2014 shortly before we returned.

Barcelona - 7 Portes www.7portes.com
Whenever a trip brings us to Barcelona, one place we always make sure to visit is 7 Portes. We first visited the restaurant when we were on a cruise stop in 1997: it was recommended by a (portly) policeman when we asked who served up the best paella. He was right. A few years later we went back with family (again on a cruise) and we all enjoyed the paellas. Fast forward 13 years later and it is still as elegant as ever and the paella still delicious. Something new we ordered: cava sangria. It was so good. If you check the "Recipes" tab, we've come up with our recipe for it. The restaurant is a little off the main hub of activity; in fact it's a great place for celebrities to come and dine. Check out the wall of letters and signatures from many of them...find out who sat at your table! (Harrison Ford was at my table!) Celebrities aside, the food is great. We do lunch and have always left very, very content.

We ate at many little places, too many to remember - and not a bad meal among them. We sampled plenty of paellas, tapas, fish, salads, cafes and desserts from Cartagena to Torre Pacheco to Alicante to La Manga to Valencia to Barcelona - and every one was a good/great meal and at exceptionally reasonable prices. The country's marketing campaign got it right: Smile, You're in Spain