Dining Out: The Northwest Voice

The Undercover Chef: Que Pasa Mexican Cafe

There are many Mexican restaurants here in Bakersfield , but I believe Que Pasa Mexican Café to be one of the more authentic. While much of their menu caters to American taste buds, Que Pasa offers the genuine flavors of Mexican cuisine. I’ve come to the conclusion that you can judge a Mexican café by something as sm all as its chips and salsa, and Que Pasa has some of the freshest and best tasting salsa I’ve ever had.

My companion and I visited the Olive Drive Que Pasa on Feb. 3. Being that it was a Friday night, the restaurant was packed and yet we had great service from the wait staff. Everyone was upbeat, friendly and alert. We were asked by more than one person if they could get us anything even after we had been served. What amazed us was the manager coming around making sure everything was to our satisfaction. Let’s face it, you don’t get that kind of service every day.

My companion ordered camarones rancheros, which is shrimp sautéed in a ranchero sauce with vegetables and bacon, and then served it with Spanish rice and refried beans for $13.50. I ordered chicken fajitas, which comes with Spanish rice, refried beans and tortillas for $12.50. The portions, which arrived on hot plates, were very generous. My companion was thoroughly satisfied with his selection, and I would definitely recommend the fajitas.

Personally, I like the way Que Pasa is organized — there’s a patio, which is completely separated from the restaurant, for outdoor dining, as well as a large dining room. For those of you over 21, there is also a full service bar, which proudly displays a selection of over 50 tequilas.

Que Pasa is a fun, inviting place for both family and friends. I enjoyed the fact that it had a very casual atmosphere and we were not rushed. I am definitely adding Que Pasa to my “most favorite” list of restaurants.

Que Pasa Mexican Café

5303 Olive Drive

392-1700

Hours: Monday –Thursday

11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Friday & Saturday

11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Sunday

11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

*Happy Hour Monday – Friday

3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

The Undercover Chef: Hodel's Country Dining

I visited Hodel's restaurant at 12 p.m. on Jan. 17. As you first walk in you see country-style decorating, and to your left is a cute, small shop with merchandise for sale. Looking through the shop I noticed most of the goods were old English, country-style paintings and little knickknacks.

When my companions and I entered, we were able to be seated instantly. If we’d had to wait, there was plenty of room to sit, and a video was playing, demonstrating how they make their breads. There were plenty of interesting things –– like a miniature train set –– to keep you entertained.

For those of you who have never been to Hodel's, you are seated in a table or booth. There is always plenty of room to choose between the two. Once you are seated you can get up immediately to get your meal because Hodel's is buffet style.

They have many choices, such as a salad bar, including fruit or fruit salads to choose from. Next you come across at least five different kinds of breads or muffins. As you go further down the line you’ll reach the meat and hearty choices such as fried chicken. I especially liked the green beans cooked in smoked bacon. Besides salads and entrees, there are a few selections of soups, and then my favorite part of the meal –– dessert!

Hodel's is an all-you-can eat buffet restaurant, but it’s not your typical buffet and all six in my party were extremely satisfied with the food and service.

Hodel's offers more choices than ordinary buffets, with a wide range of prices, as mentioned below:

            Breakfast:               $6.65

            Lunch:                    $7.15

            Dinner:                   $8.95

           *Salad Only:           $6.69

           *Children under 7: $3.99 (lunch) $4.60 (dinner)

           *Children 7-10:       $4.89 (lunch) $5.85 (dinner)

Hodels is located at

Olive Drive
and
Knudsen Drive

Hours:

Monday-Saturday 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Sunday 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

The Undercover Chef: The Sugar mill

I visited McGee's Sugar Mill on Dec. 20 around 11:30 a.m.

When I first walked in this inviting country-style restaurant there was a just a sm all line with standing-room only. Even though I would have liked to have seen more seating room, we only waited for seven minutes. Considering the holiday hustle and bustle, that was very short.

The décor of Sugar Mill is in your traditional beiges, browns, pinks and blues with floral and wood-carved designs –– typical country decor. As I looked around, I saw plenty of festive decorations that got me into the Christmas spirit. Considering this is an older building, it was well-maintained and clean.

I received excellent service while dining at the Sugar Mill. Our server was very pleasant, clean-cut, and extremely attentive. He came and checked on us more than expected, especially considering the number of patrons. I was highly impressed with the service.

I decided on the classic club sandwich with turkey, bacon, tomato, mayo and lettuce on white bread, with a side of fries and a coke. There were hearty helpings, and considering I only paid $8.25, it was completely worth the price. My companion ordered breakfast, which is available all day. The ham and cheese omelet came with potatoes and a choice of bread or biscuit and gravy. His breakfast was priced at $8.75. When he stated that he didn’t want the potatoes, my companion wasn’t offered a substitute. Since they were busy, he didn’t pursue it.

I have been to the Sugar Mill on several occasions and am familiar with the menu. There is a wide variety of choices, from grilled cheese to T-bone steak. All the prices are within moderate range, so if you don’t feel like spending a pretty penny yet still want a decent, well-cooked meal, I recommend the Sugar Mill.

McGee's Sugar Mill
2523 N. Chester Ave.
Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Monday-Sunday

Phone: 399-9032

The Undercover Chef: Planet Smoothie

I visited Planet Smoothie on Dec. 2, 2005, around 4 p.m.

As I walked in I was instantly greeted by a pleasant smile. The ambiance of this charming cafe is more cosmopolitan than you'd expect to find here in Bakersfield. The decor was very inviting, with fun and vibrant colors and state-of -the-art flat screens for your entertainment. There was also a sitting area to relax, chat or read a book.

As I had never been here before I asked a few questions about possible selections, and was able to make an informed decison. The menu was posted on the back wall, and very easy to read –– listing totally affordable prices.

There are daily specials for the budget -minded. On the day I visited, the special was a Southwestern chicken sandwich, chips and drink –– all for $1.99. For under $9 I was able to get a pizza and smoothie.

I ordered a three-cheese pizza, made with an excellent blend of cheeses and pesto sauce on top of perfectly baked pita bread. My companion ordered the artichoke pesto chicken pizza, also on pita bread. To drink, I had a Hawiian Bliss smoothy, which was light, filling, and obviously made with real fruit. Our meals were brought to our table by a pleasant and clean-cut server.

Not only is this place affordable, friendly, and has a great atmosphere, but it is clean and well-stocked. Planet Smoothie was rated by three visitors and all gave excellent ratings. Planet Smoothie is indeed a "fresh and healthy alternative to fast food."

Planet Smoothie is located at 9660 Hageman, Suite B.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 11-7 p.m.
Phone: 588-2449.

Chef Allison Tomasi is a 2005 graduate of the California Culinary Academy, San Francisco.

Restaurant Talk: Little Italy owner big on taste

The owner of Little Italy, who prefers to be known simply as Chang, said
he's learned not to underestimate the people of Bakersfield.

"They know good food," said Chang, a Brimhall Estates resident who's been in
town two years and can be found seven days a week at his 32-seat, white -tablecloth restaurant, tucked away in the Town and Country Shopping Center on Stockdale Highway and Coffee Road.

Though it's only been open about a year, Chang said Little Italy already has
a loyal clientele eager to dig into the grilled porkchops pinenut ($16.95)
and chicken picatta ($13.95).

"Most of our customers come at least twice a month, and many three times a
week," said Chang, who prepares every dish himself.

Chang, seated on a dark wood chair in the tiny dining room, which features two large murals, with music from "Phantom of the Opera" playing in the background, said we can thank his wife, Nu, for his ending up here.

Born in Thailand –– where his mother owned a restaurant –– he moved with his family to Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, and stayed there to complete his education, make his way up in the restaurant business and raise a family of his own, which now includes three children and two grandchildren. He moved back to Thailand briefly in 1980 to open a Western steakhouse, but the market at that time wasn't accommodating.

Chang visited Bakersfield over the years with Nu to see her dearest friend from Chicago, a nurse at Kern Medical Center.

"Then she convinced me to come to the West Coast to try and make a living," said Chang. He was hoping for the "coast" coast, but agreed to try it out here first.

Chang chose the location for Little Italy because he found the shopping center pleasant and relatively quiet. He chose Italian because he finds it easy to cook.

The dignified Ben, who worked with Chang for years in D.C., came to Bakersfield in April to man the "front of the house." "We're like brothers," said Chang.

Little Italy is so small that you'll inevitably overhear other diners' conversations. For appetizers, they'll probably be discussing whether to opt for the calamari fritti, lightly fried baby squids served with tomato sauce ($6.95); the mozzarella marinara, fresh buffalo mozzarella dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and deep fried, served with marinara sauce ($7.95); or the Italian sausage and peppers, mild Italian sausage sauteed with sweet peppers, onion and tomato sauce served with grilled polenta ($7.95).

Soups include the minestrone ($4.95) and potatoes and leek ($4.95), and salads include the Greek spinach ($6.95) and antipasto ($10.95).

Menu items described as "classic Italian," all for $9.95, include spaghetti and meatballs, cappellini bolones, meat lasagna and cheese manicotti.

Pasta selections on the dinner menu include the penne with vodka cream, chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil in a vodka cream sauce ($13.95); the cappellini scampi, jumbo shrimp sauteed with garlic butter, white wine and parsley ($18. 95); fettuccine cabonara, panchetta, onion and egg yolk with cream and Parmesan cheese ($13.95); and linguini frutti di mare, linguini pasta with shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a spicy marinara sauce ($20.95).

If a house specialty is more up your alley, you might try the chicken saltimbocca, a chicken breast rolled with prosciutto, mozzarella cheese and sage and cooked in mushroom Madeira wine sauce ($16.95); veal tenderloin, two 4-ounce veal tenderloins sauteed in brandy mushroom sauce ($24.95); or salmon Mediterranean ($18.95), Atlantic salmon sauteed with chopped tomatoes, capers, garlic, calamata olive, oregano and white wine butter sauce ($18.95). All specialties include fresh vegetables and pasta with tomato sauce.

Beer and wine are also available, as are daily specials. The lunch menu includes sandwiches.

If you plan on going to Little Italy, it's wise to make a reservation. Chang said there's always a crowd at 6:30 p.m. He wishes locals would dine a little later, and said he's mulling over possibly opening a late-night restaurant/nightspot here one day. For now, he has to make do with appetizers at Applebee's when he gets off work.

Have you been to Little Italy and want to share your experience? Go to www.northwestvoice.com and hit the "Reply or Comment" icon that appears below the story and share your opinion with our readers.

Little Italy
8200 Stockdale Highway
833-4055
Hours: Monday to Friday, lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.

Frugatti's celebrates 15 years on Coffee Road

When Ralph Fruguglietti was a child in Grumento Nova, Italy, he would go with his mother to the local bakery to make pizzas in the wood-fired oven they opened to the public on weekends.

Though the Fruguglietti family moved to the States when Ralph was 6, those weekend sessions of fresh crust, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes left a mark on his soul as permanent as marinara on a white shirt.

Fruguglietti grew up in the Bay Area and majored in business at the University of Southern California. During those college summers he'd travel to Italy to throw the discus for their national team.

"I'd have a lot of free time, so I'd go out to eat and spend lots of time with the restaurant owners, getting their input on recipes," he said.

Fruguglietti moved to Shafter with his wife, Anne, in 1980, and he spent a few years working for IBM.

Then he did what he always wanted to do. He opened a restaurant -- Giovanni's -- in Shafter. Then came two more -- Bootleggers and Frugatti's, which opened in 1990 on Coffee Road to instant success.

The years have brought changes. It was goodbye to Bootleggers and Giovanni's (Fruguglietti sold Giovanni's to his neighbor a year and a half ago), which he said allows him to focus more on Frugatti's.

"I like to be here out at the tables taking. Who's going to be able to sell better than me?" said Fruguglietti.

Frugatti's has also withstood the influx of Italian franchises and chains.

"I see it as a good thing. Their arrival makes independents work harder to maintain the customer base we have," he said.

Frugatti's also went through a complete remodel, completed in May, which included the addition of a patio area, a new warm color on the walls and black-and-white photos from the Old Country.

One of the photos is featured in the restaurant's new logo, accompanied by the phrase "real Italian by real Italians," which Fruguglietti said Pete Tittl mentioned in a recent review.

"He said the logo features a family 'straight out of 'The Sopranos'' enjoying a meal, but the funny thing is, that's actually my family," said Fruguglietti, chuckling. He's the little boy in the far right of the photo.

Since the remodel, business has increased by 25 percent, said Fruguglietti, who said a recent experiment with staying open from lunch through dinner has also resulted in more profits.

The restaurant is doing more catering, as well, including weddings.

The years have also shown the Fruguglietti family grow and mature.

Ralph and Anne's four children -- J.P., Anthony, Katina and Theresa -- all help out at the restaurant.

The menu has also evolved, from California-style to authentic southern Italian. Once pizza-heavy, it now includes steaks, fish, chicken and lasagna.

Fruguglietti is always experimenting with new items in the kitchen, which he runs by the family, the staff and regulars.

Noni's Pizza, in honor of his mother, is currently available. It's a rectangular pizza with a thin-crust covered in fresh tomato, garlic and basil.

"The servers keep asking for it, which is always a good indication of an item's success," said Fruguglietti.

He's also considering doing more family-style dishes, so those devotees of hands-down favorites like the garlic chicken fettuccini ($13.25) and garlic chicken calzone ($12.25) might be able to try something different once in a while.

Lunch items include the zucchini and mushroom lasagna ($9.40) and meatball sandwich ($6.85), sandwich specials from $6.75 to $8.25, pasta specials from $8.25 to $9.50 and a personal pizza and soda for $7.50.

Dinner choices include appetizers such as the spicy parmesan chicken "things" ($6.85) or basil pesto bread ($4.75).

Light eaters might opt for the Thai chicken salad ($9.25) or a cup of minestrone soup ($2.40).

Calzones include the garlic chicken ($12.15) or "Your Choice" calzones ($11).

Wood-fired pizzas include the shrimp basil ($15) and sausage and meatball pizza ($12.90).

Entrees include the chicken breast with white wine mushroom sauce ($14.75), crab and shrimp ravioli ($15.95), Frugatti's steak toscana ($15) or roasted red pepper pesto chicken with sun-dried tomatoes ($13.25).

Desserts, made in-house, include the triple chocolate cheesecake ($5) and killer carrot cake ($4.05).

Kids' items range from $4.25 to $5.95.

Dinner family packs feed four to five people and range from $24.95 to $34.95.

Despite the success he's had, Fruguglietti remains unassuming.

"They might mix it up a little, but everyone has about five main restaurants they frequent. All we ask is that you let us be one of those five," he said.

Frugatti's Italian Eatery
836-2000
600 Coffee Road
Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.- 9:30 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Restaurant Talk: Champs BBQ owners open Patrona this week

Restaurant Talk: Champs BBQ owners open Patrona this week

It's 11 a.m. on a weekday and Champs BBQ and Catering is already smoking.
Regulars from the airport, downtown, the Kern County Sheriff's Department, Halliburton and Lerdo Prison (80 percent of the customers are men) enter in a steady stream for Southern-style pit barbecue in the form of plated meals, sandwiches and the No. 1 seller -- barbecue salads with fresh cut romaine lettuce with blue cheese and walnuts and your choice of chicken, pork or pit beef.
But as much as Champs seems a Seventh Standard Road institution, it wasn't always so.
Once upon a time, owner Tim Champness, son of longtime residents Elwood and Ouida, was bouncing between the family business, Kern Steel Fabrication, and real estate, and finding happiness in neither.
Things changed when the recently separated Tim met a former classmate at South High School's 10-year reunion. Tim and Carrie Stafford, an RN, married a few years later at 31.
It was Carrie who asked Tim the fateful question, "What do you love to do?"
Tim replied that he loved to cook, and, with Carrie's encouragement, the next thing he knew he was enrolled at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. They lived 23 months apart, but when Carrie visited on breaks they traveled around the country by car and ate everywhere that offered barbecue: Memphis, Nashville, Missouri, Texas and beyond.
When Tim returned to Bakersfield he worked at the Petroleum Club and Seven Oaks before opening his own barbecue catering business, which operated out of a big trailer with a smoker that he and Carrie took to state fairs. When people started to ask where they could get the food, the pair opened Champs at its current location because the rent was cheap and they noticed all of the cars -- 3,000 people working within a five-mile radius.
Champs made its debut in January of 2001.
"At the time everyone else was worried about Y2K," said Carrie, chuckling.
She handled the administrative, financial side of things while Tim was the creative one; the dreamer. Thanks to his culinary training, he'd developed his own style and his own recipes.
"People told me I should do this or that, but I cooked what I liked to eat. I figured if I liked it other people would, too," said Tim.
The gamble paid off. Champs became a quick favorite for its pork, pit beef, chicken, hot links, tri-tip and ribs and barbecue sauce, dressings, rubs and salsa -- and even clam chowder.
Champs does its own butchering and everything is made from scratch, even the desserts.
"Our cornerstones are consistency, quality and craftsmanship," said Carrie. Prices range from $2.95 for a clam chowder or gumbo cup to $20 for a full-rack rib plate. The catering menu offers everything from hamburgers and hog dogs plus three side dishes for $6 a person to the luau, which includes a whole smoked pig, rice, coleslaw, green salad, fruit and rolls and butter for $12.95 a person.
Tim, always the visionary, aims to expand his craft without mass-producing, and is tentatively planning Southwest and Tehachapi locations. His ultimate dream would be a 200-seat family restaurant with a stage, wooden slides and dance floor.
When the couple heard that there were plans in the works to turn the former location of the Airport Deli a few suites away into a Mexican restaurant, however, they decided to take immediate action, and asked the building supervisor if they might try their hands at a Mexican restaurant.
"We figured we'd rather compete against ourselves," said Carrie.
The fast-casual Patrona, which opened Wednesday, offers traditional Mexican favorites like street tacos (three for $7) and enchiladas (two for $8) as well as Argentinean-style wood-fired grilled half chicken ($11.95), beef ribs ($13.95), lamb loin chops ($15.95) and a 10-ounce flat iron steak ($15.95), as well as beer and wine.
It's named Patrona -- which means "female boss" -- after Carrie.
The advantage to the Champnesses owning both restaurants is that you can buy your meal and bring it to either restaurant to eat if you and your partner have different dining preferences, said Carrie. The 30 employees will be cross-trained to work in both restaurants.
The expansion includes a patio and 80-seat banquet room. The Champnesses now occupy 70 percent of the building.
When they're not working at the restaurants or scouting out possible new locations, the couple are at their Northwest home, out on motorcycles or quads or spending time with Mason, 16, Tim's son from his first marriage, and their son Ian, 4.
More than anything, Champs and Patrona are testaments to the power of love -- Tim and Carrie's love for each other and their mutual love for barbecue.
"For her birthday this year I said I'd cook her anything she wanted, but to let me know a couple days in advance so I could prepare," said Tim. "And guess what she chose? Tri-tip."

Champs BBQ and Catering
35315 Seventh Standard Road, Suite 130
Patrona
35312 Seventh Standard Road, Suite 110
Phone: 391-8334
Catering: 410-4227
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Hodel's Country Dining

The homemade cinnamon rolls, rotisserie chicken and raisin broccoli salad -- it's these down-home favorites that have kept locals and out-of-towners flocking to Hodel's Country Dining for nearly 40 years.

General Manager Don Hodel, 44, is a third-generation Hodel's employee.

The authentic country restaurant's beginnings, he said, can be traced back to Oklahoma in the early 1900s, when his grandmother Lydia's mother died when Lydia was 12 and she was left with the responsibility of feeding the nine children -- as well as a number of migrant farm workers.

Years later, in Bakersfield, she became the head cafeteria manager at Greeley School, and held the position for 20 years. The only complaint about her work was voiced at her retirement dinner by a helpless mother.

"Her child said, �How come you don't make food at home like we get in the cafeteria?'" said Don, chuckling. "No one ever took a sack lunch."

If Lydia was a good cook, her son, Bob, was an equally skilled entrepreneur. He opened one Hodel's in the Southwest and a second at the current Olive Drive and Highway 99 location in the late 1960s. He already owned a Foster Freeze but had grown tired of flipping burgers and was looking for a new challenge.

Though a buffet from its inception, the Olive Drive Hodel's was originally about the size of a KFC or a small coffee shop.

Through the years, it underwent seven major remodels, and today has seven banquet rooms, the largest OF which can seat 500. On Mother's Day brunch, they packed 3,200 people into the main restaurant, said Don.

Other changes have taken place, too. While Hodel's originally offered a number of German sausage and other German dishes to reflect the ethnicity of its customers, they were gradually replaced by enchiladas and fajitas. Lydia, who worked at Hodel's 40 hours a week until the age of 80, passed away after laboring happily at the restaurant for 25 years. And Don, who started washing dishes on milk crates when he was 7, now has his boys, ages 7 and 8, help with sweeping and other restaurant chores on Sundays.

Don went to culinary school in the late 1980s and still helps out in the kitchen if he has time, which is rare.

The restaurant typically feeds 8,000 a week. They go through 20,000 pounds of homemade sausage and 26,000 pounds of bacon a year. They're expanding the catering side of the business, and cater some of the largest events in Bakersfield, including the Bakersfield Women's Business Conference, the Festival of Trees and the Prayer Breakfast, plus a recent church picnic for 3,000 people. Six months ago they revamped their buffet wedding package and have booked more weddings in the last two months than they had in the past few years, said Don.

The restaurant began to offer breakfast in the '80s, and since then it's become the fastest-growing segment of business. Sunday brunch, served from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is the most crowded meal of the week, said Don, who said highlights -- in addition to the cinnamon rolls -- are the fresh fruit, heart-shaped Belgian waffles and donuts. The donuts are made in a machine right in front of you, which the kids love to watch.

Items on the food line rotate, depending on both the day and the time of the day. Sauteed pastas, pork chops, corn fritters, split pea soup with ham and mashed potatoes are favorites. Ice cream for dessert is free for children.

Everything is homemade with the exception of the green beans, which -- Don openly admits -- are canned.

"People love the canned green beans -- they're one of our most popular items, and we give people what they want," said Don, who said bacon and onions are often added for more flavor.

Though undeniably successful, Don and Bob aren't stopping at the first course. Though no dates have been set, they're currently in negotiations to buy the nearby property where the bingo hall is located and turn it into a country inn with a giant living room and country motif throughout, a la Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo, said Don.

Whatever happens, the Hodels plan to continue to work -- and eat -- together.

"Through it all, the restaurant has remained an extension of our family," said Don.

Hodel's Country Dining
Olive Drive and Highway 99
399-3341
Hours: Breakfast 6 to 10:45 a.m., lunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Dinner 4 to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Open Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Prices: Adult breakfast $6.25, lunch $6.89 and dinner $8.69). (Dinner price all day Sunday). Senior and child discount available.

Owners say Casa Mexico the oldest Rosedale Mexican restauran

Though now sandwiched between Mauricio's, Jobie's El Chile Verde and the like, owners Jose and Terry Gonzalez say Casa Mexico, opened in 1985, was the first Mexican restaurant in the Rosedale area.

The pair became the third owners when they took over in 1998. Their first endeavor was to add a little more flair to what was often described as a "hole in the wall," extensively remodeling the interior of the restaurant to create an adobe-like, South of the Border feel.

Though still modest from the exterior in the Country Plaza shopping center, Casa is a sought-after destination of its loyal clientele.

"We have a lot of regulars. A lot of people have kept coming through the changes of ownership. We get a lot of teachers and construction workers," said Terry, adding that she and her husband know their customers by name.

The restaurant doesn't have a happy hour and serves only beer, wine and wine margaritas, so it caters to a different market than some of its competitors.

"We're a nice, family restaurant," said Terry, who added that the food is fast and affordable, a plus for those trying to squeeze in good eats on a short lunch hour.

Terry, originally from Delano, waitressed for 20 years before she and her husband bought the restaurant. She now handles the finances. Jose, born in Mexico City, started out washing dishes in restaurants. He serves as Casa's chef, cooking up recipes his mother shared with him.

"She's eaten here many times. But even though they're her recipes, she'll say the dishes are a little bit different when I make them," said Jose, chuckling.

The couple site the chile verde, enchiladas and tacos as the customer favorites.

When I was there, a number of lunch-goers were also ordering the daily special, available Monday through Saturday for $6.95 and $5.95 for a half order. That was a Wednesday and the special was two cheese enchiladas with rice and beans and a drink.

You can start of with the sampler platter for the adults -- four cream cheese poppers, four breaded mozzarella cheese sticks, four breaded zucchini slices with sour cream and guacamole for $6.50 -- and the kids' sampler platter -- three mini burritos, three chicken nuggets and three taquitos -- for the little ones.

Combination plates, ranging from $6.25 to $8.25, include your choice of tacos, fish tacos, enchiladas, chile relleno, tamales or taquitos.

Specialty plates range from $8 to $10.75. Choices include carne asada or steak asada ranchero with rice and beans or fried potatoes ($10); shrimp or garlic shrimp with rice and beans ($10.75); or machaca beef with rice and beans ($8).

A la carte items, ranging from $1.75 to $6.50, include the vegetarian taco ($1.75), bowl of chile verde ($3.25), nacho grande ($6.50) and carne asada super burrito ($6.50).

In addition to a variety of tostadas and side orders, Casa Mexico also serves burgers and fries.

Desserts include the deep fried burrito with your choice of apple, cherry or peach filling ($3.50) and deep fried ice cream ($4).

Casa Mexico
9910 Rosedale Highway
589-3613
Hours: Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Restaurant Talk: J and B's Brookside Market and Deli

When brothers Ricky Jhaj and Nimi Brar purchased the popular Brookside RiverLakes deli and convenience store on Coffee Road in April of 2004, it caused something of a stir amongst customers; the equivalent of adding mustard to the location's well-loved double-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Some people were skeptical. They thought we would change everything," said Jhaj.

But they didn't.

"We kept it all the same," he said. "I feel like the community has accepted us and we fit in well now. They feel like they can come here -- we're your one-stop shop."

The brothers also became part of a family tradition by buying the Shell station in front. Their parents own other Shell stations in the area, and Jhaj and Brar have been working at them since they were teens.

"It's always been second nature," said Jhaj.

Now 26 (Jhaj) and 29 (Brar), they hope to make J and B's Brookside Market and Deli -- which has earned consecutive wins in the deli category in The Bakersfield Californian's Best of Bakersfield poll since it opened -- even better.

"Our goal is to offer more grocery items in the market, more variety in the deli and to earn even more positive reviews," said Jhaj. The brothers recently began to stock a bigger variety of wine and plan to meet with a chef in March to explore more menu options.

Not that regulars see much to improve upon. The market -- hand painted by the original owners -- is typically bustling with customers either grabbing something from the deli, satisfying their sweet teeth with Smith's Bakery items or taking a cup of Dewar's peppermint ice cream for the road. Wooden tables and a bar are available for those wishing to sit a spell.

"Our customers are typically blue collar -- your average person from the neighborhood," said Jhaj. "They appreciate that everything is fresh and local -- from our high quality meat to our bread."

Open during weekdays at 5 a.m. and weekends at 6:30 a.m., breakfast dishes go fast at Brookside, especially the biscuits and gravy -- $2.99 for a full order and $1.99 for a half order. Other options are the Brookside breakfast sandwich ($4.49), with your choice of ham, bacon or sausage with two eggs and American cheese on a toasted croissant, the breakfast bagel sandwich ($3.49) and the breakfast special, two eggs, one sausage patty and your choice of toast ($3.99).

Come lunch hour, specialty sandwiches include the Brookside club ($5.99), a toasted roll with mayo, avocado, lettuce or sprouts, tomato, onion, smoked turkey and bacon; the Brookside combo ($5.99), salami, ham, turkey, provolone, cheddar cheese and all the works; and the pickled tongue sandwich ($6.99), with your choice of mayo, mustard and condiments or plain. A recent addition to the menu is the panini, available Tuesdays and Thursdays, which comes with roasted vegetables and your choice of chicken, turkey or ham served with pesto sauce on Italian focacccia bread ($6.49, $5.59 veggie). Regular sandwiches ($5.49) include the roast beef, pastrami, turkey breast, smoked turkey, ham and veggies with your choice of spreads and condiments. The Brookside special, available weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes any regular sandwich, a small bag of chips and a 22-ounce drink. Half sandwiches for lighter eaters are also available.

Broodside also makes its own salads, including potato, Janet's pasta, macaroni, veggie salad, broccoli bacon, watergate, tortellini, pasta supreme, red potato, California ranch, curry rice, white bean, tuna salad and chicken salad.

And don't forget to check the daily specials. Monday's special is the hot ham and pepperjack cheese with mayonnaise and tomato on a croissant ($5.49) or tri-tip ($6.49), Tuesday's is the onion bagel with smoked turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and vinaigrette ($4.49) or tri-tip ($6.49), Wednesday's is the egg salad sandwich ($4.49) or deep pit ($6.49), Thursday's is the deep pit ($6.49) or chicken salad sandwich ($5.49) and Friday's special is tri-tip ($6.49).

Brookside also has a catering menu.

J and B's Brookside Market and Deli
4700 Coffee Road
588-2329
Deli Hours:
Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Restaurant Talk: Quick One offers crab rangoon and honey wal

The owner of Quick One Chinese restaurant is only 27. Yet through both osmosis and experience, Jason Gao has what seems like a lifetime of experience in the industry.

Born in China, Gao has lived in the states for more than a decade. He estimates that his family owns at least 25 restaurants in New York, New Jersey and Florida. He's worked in the family business for years, but this is his first solo venture.

"The people here are good. I like it," said Gao of Bakersfield, where he moved a year ago after a friend recommended the ever-growing city as a good place to start a restaurant.

Quick One, which opened three months ago, is located snugly between Xander's and RJ's on the corner of Hageman and Calloway. Gao said that the first month was slow, but now things are picking up considerably, and he had to go from one delivery driver to four.

Quick One delivers to homes between six and seven miles of The Plaza at RiverLakes.

But if you have time to sit down, be assured that Quick One has more ambiance than the typical Chinese fast-food restaurant. Everything looks shiny and new -- from the computers at the register to the stainless steel appliances in the back. The walls are painted in purple and red, and 10 tables beckon the diner with sturdy wooden chairs. The open kitchen allows you to watch your meal being prepared.

"We make everything fresh when you order it," said Gao.

Gao said orange chicken ($7.75) is proving to be the most popular entree, but he is encouraging customers to branch out and try dishes like the honey walnut shrimp ($12.95), tender prawn fried in a light batter with the chef's special mayonnaise sauce and walnuts.

Quick One offers 10 different appetizers. Gao recommends the eight-piece crab rangoon ($4.25) and the four-piece chicken sticks ($3.95). If you want it all, you can get the assorted appetizer ($8.75), which comes with two egg rolls, crab rangoon, butterfly shrimp, beef stick, chicken stick and barbecue sliced pork.

A large variety of chicken, beef, pork, seafood and vegetable entrees are available, such as the cashew chicken ($7.75), pepper steak ($7.95), mu shu pork ($7.75), shrimp with lobster sauce ($9.95) and Buddha's delight ($5.95).

Chef's specials include the seafood platter ($11.25), which comes with lobster, scallops, shrimp, crabmeat and mixed vegetables in a white sauce, and the hunan triple delight, chicken, beef, shrimp and mixed vegetables in a black bean sauce, described as "hot and spicy."

Soup, salads, chow mein and rice noodles, egg foo young and diet options are also listed on the menu.

Lunch specials, served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., are $4.65 and come with rice and your choice of a soda or the soup of the day.

Combination platters range from $6.95 to $7.75.

Family dinner specials that serve between two and four people cost between $20.95 and $22.95 and come with two full entrees as well as soup, egg rolls, crab rangoon and other sides.

Quick One Chinese Cuisine
9440 Hageman Road, Suite B
(The Plaza at RiverLakes)
587-8838
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Friday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Restaurant Talk: Enjoy a Driller burger and freedom fries at

Pappy's Coffee Shop on Rosedale Highway looks deceptively plain from the street.

Although perhaps the grand piano sitting on the patio should have been a clue...

Stepping inside, one is greeted by an embarrassment of riches. Pictures of oil derricks, license plates, a wood paddle reading "bald man's brush" and a large picture of Marilyn Monroe line the walls. Antique typewriters fill the shelves. A walk-in telephone booth sits next to the bar. A life-size cardboard figure of John Wayne stands guard outside an outhouse toward the back of the restaurant. Old-style Coke bottles sit on the floor.

And then there are the mounts: three buffalo heads from Canada and Wyoming, as well as a large elk, a raccoon, a bobcat and a wild boar with a prominent pink tongue protruding from its lips.

"The tongue's fake. People at the counter tend to take it out and play with it, but I try to discourage that," said Anthony Cisneros, whose father, Pete, started the restaurant in 1999.

It's 2 p.m., closing time, and the place has cleared out, leaving the interior free for inspection. The local antique collection rivals the Kern County Museum. The animal re-creations make for a taxidermist's paradise.

Besides photos, hundreds of business cards underneath the glass tables make it easy to network over lunch.

And rumor has it the food isn't bad, either.

Pete, otherwise known as "Pappy," worked at Denny's and Happy Steak out of high school before embarking on a long career in the oil business. After it ended, he saw potential for a restaurant in the location of the old Center Market.

"He wanted to open a place where you could get a good meal at a good price. We have big portions. Here you leave full -- and ready for a nap," said Anthony.

Pappy's opens at 5:30 a.m. for breakfast, and, according to Anthony, is usually frequented by oil field workers, hunters and construction workers.

"And we have a group of about 20 guys who just like to sit in the back and read the Bible," said Anthony, who works alongside his father as well as his brother, Thomas, and sister, Sarah.

"Sarah will waitress, clean tables -- she's the most dedicated employee. She'll do anything my dad needs," said Anthony.

Pappy's serves breakfast and lunch. Breakfast items, served all day, include the popular chile verde omelet ($7.99), taco omelet ($7.45) and snake bite omelet ($7.69), which consists of chunks of polish sausage, pickled jalapenos, yellow pepper rings and Monterey jack cheese.

Other breakfast items, served with a number of sides, include ham steak and eggs ($7.69), described as "one of the biggest in town," strawberry pancakes with glazed strawberries ($5.99), and "krazy" waffles ($5.50) or "krazy krunchy" freedom toast ($5.49), dipped in egg batter and a special mix of walnuts, butter and caramel.

"We changed the �French' to �freedom.' I guess that's the politically correct thing to do," said Anthony.

It is at Pappy's, anyway.

Senior and kids' breakfast items are also available.

Pappy's hearty lunches, served with freedom fries and other sides, include the Driller burger ($7.45), two bacon strips, cheese and onion rings on grilled sourdough, and the grilled Reuben ($7.45). Dinners include the meat loaf dinner ($7.69) and popcorn shrimp basket ($7.45).

Pappy's has recently introduced low-carb, high-protein plates, like Pappy's bacon cheddar salad ($3.99) with low-carb dressing and the Santa Fe chicken dinner ($6.95).

Senior lunches are also available.

Pappy's Coffee Shop
10595 Rosedale Highway
587-8954
Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily

Restaurant Talk: The Bamboo Cafe

It's 3 in the afternoon at the Northwest Promenade - right between lunch and dinner.

The Bamboo Caf�, however, is bustling. Manager George Shih barely has time to look up as he dishes out kung pao chicken, barbecue pork and beef with stringbeans to families and ravenous shoppers who've headed over from Walmart and Foodco.

Still, he remains consistently pleasant and accommodating.

"If you want something special that isn't on the menu that day - like shrimp fried rice - I'll be happy to make it if I have the ingredients," said Shih.

The Shih family started the Bamboo Caf� when the Promenade first opened. The self-described "authentic Chinese fast-food experience," which takes its name from the favorite food of pandas, celebrated its sixth anniversary last month.

"We feel this is a very convenient spot for people," said Karman Shih, the family's designated PR person, of the Rosedale/Coffee location. "People can stop on the way home from work and be in and out in less than 10 minutes. Or they can sit down at the tables if they've been shopping all day and want to put their feet up," Karman said, glancing around as diners enjoyed egg flower soup and Mandarin meat balls.

The interior of the restaurant is bright and welcoming. Paintings of Chinese symbols and undersea creatures are interspersed with Centennial High football posters.

"We enjoy the area and our Northwest customers," said Karman, who said the menu has come to reflect the changing tastes of their clientele. "We've added sushi and pot stickers to the menu, and they're doing quite well," she said.

Orange chicken continues to be the solid favorite, but the Shih family goes back to Taiwan several times a year for new ideas.

Their plan for the next six years? "To continue as we are, and to provide even better service. Customer service is number one," said Karman.

Bowl specials ($3.15) include chow mein or fried rice and your choice of one hot entree. Entrees range from orange chicken (small $3.25, large $5.75,) to beef with broccoli ($2.95, $5.25), to sweet and sour pork ($2.95, $5.25) to assorted vegetables ($2.95, $5.25). Combo 2 comes with chow mein and rice plus two hot entrees ($4.35) and Combo 3 ($5.35) comes with your choice of three entrees.

Pot stickers are four for $2.75, and personal sushi platters (tempura roll, California roll and sesame roll) are $3.99.

Bamboo Caf� also offers party platters for catering needs. Platters, prepared for 18 guests ($69), 28 guests ($99) and 38 guests ($129), come with entrees like mushroom chicken and seafood delight and different combinations of vegetable fried rice, vegetable chow mein, steamed rice and fortune cookies.

A la carte party trays with teriyaki chicken, orange chicken and all other entrees are also available, as are sushi platters and appetizers like fried shrimp, fried won tons and vegetable egg rolls.

Bamboo Caf�
8110 Rosedale Highway, Unit F
588-4879
Hours: Monday-Sunday
11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Restaurant Talk: Cactus Valley on Rosedale Highway

It's a Friday night. He'll look over the menu but always order the enchiladas suizas. She, in turn, will play coy but without fail settle on the chicken fajitas. By the time the check comes, they will have enjoyed two margaritas each.

Mary Carrisalez, who owns Cactus Valley along with her husband, Sef, knows her customers and can describe in detail their endearing predictability.

"I have an 11-year-old golfer who insists on coming in every week for his steak fajitas - he cleans his plate. And children who love their bean burritos will bring their parents in like clockwork," said Mary, chuckling.

Some times she wishes her customers weren't such creatures of habit.

"Our most popular item is the simple taco and cheese enchilada with rice and beans ($6.25). But customers think it's so good, they're scared to try anything different," Mary said, adding that the San Francisco Bay and spinach enchiladas wouldn't disappoint.

The Carrisalezs have been at their location on Rosedale Highway for eight years. They moved from their old location on Rosedale and Calloway when the rent became too high, and were initially very sad to leave - as were their regular customers.

"It was 8:30 p.m., we were ready to leave, and they were still sitting in the booths. It was hard," said Mary. But she and Sef made the most of the new location, which once housed 16 offices, gutting it and creating an adobe-style interior. They've benefited from their proximity to the downtown area and hotels.

"And people in the Northwest have been good to us. We've done well," she said, noting the many people who have birthdays, wedding rehearsal dinners - even funeral gatherings - at Cactus Valley.

Though Mary hails from Imperial Valley, Sef is from Bakersfield and worked locally as a bartender for all the "big houses," as Mary refers to them, like the old Bakersfield Inn and Stockdale and Bakersfield country clubs.

It was Mary who convinced him to open his own place. "I told him if he had a bar under a tree he would have a following," said Mary.

The food is left to Chef Luz, who cooks things "the Mexican way," and makes tamales with chile verde.

Breakfast is served all day at the restaurant, including huevos rancheros, carne machaca and chorizo and eggs. Menudo is available most days.

In the mood for an appetizer? Choose from regular nachos ($5.50), beer and bean dip ($5.95), described as chorizo, beans, ranchera sauce and cheese, and a finger food platter ($6.95).

Soups, salads and tostados range from the gazpacho soup studded with diced vegetables, olive oil, oregano and tomato juice ($4.95), and a bowl of cactus soup ($2.95), young cactus leaves simmered in a blend of New Mexico chile pods and spices.

Diners can choose from build-your-own combo dinners, the San Francisco Bay enchiladas ($11.95), filled with crab meat and jumbo shrimp, the chile verde burrito ($7.95), served with rice and beans and topped with chile verde sauce and melted cheese, and Mexican favorites like grilled cactus ($6.95) and fish tacos ($7.50).

Specialty dinners on the menu include scampi a la Mexico City ($10.95), eight large shrimp saut�ed with sliced button mushrooms in a delicate blend of olive oil, red chile pasilla strips, fresh garlic and a hint of red apple cider served with white rice, steamed broccoli and pico de gallo, and pollo emparrillado ($9.95), a tender marinated chicken breast grilled and served with crispy potato rounds, rice and beans with one cheese enchilada.

Desserts include flan ($2.95) and fried ice cream ($3.25). And if Bobby doesn't like steak fajitas, combos with rice and beans or French fries plus dessert are available on the Cactus Kids' Menu for those 10 and under.

Cactus Valley
4215 Rosedale Highway
633-1948
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
The banquet room seats 80.
Extra parking is available behind the restaurant.

Restaurant Talk: Fabious' Corner BEST BBQ brings Southern co

Northwest residents may not have known quite what to think when Fabious Worthy moved his barbecue restaurant from Union Avenue to Rosedale in the summer of 2003. But they came, they tasted, and he proved himself more than worthy to have spot in their stomachs - and their neighborhood.

As soon as the doors open at 10 a.m., hungry men and women are standing in line for ribs, hot links, chicken, tri-tip, turkey and ribs at the take-out counter at Fabious' Corner BEST BBQ in the Albertsons Shopping Center on Rosedale Highway and Allen Road.

"We got a brand new crowd when we moved here. They received us with open arms," said Fabious' wife of three years, Elvira Worthy. "These are nice people. Rosedale has a heart all its own."

Of course, interaction with customers is encouraged by Fabious, who can often be found sitting outside the restauarant chatting with passers-by and offering free samples, which he refers to as a "test drive."

"He's hands-on. He takes enormous pride in what he does," said Elvira, who is also present at the restaurant nearly every day. "He says his barbecue is simply the best."

Fabious credits his gift for Southern cooking to his mother, who hails from Oklahoma. Granny Hazel's BBQ Sauce ($5.50) an homage to her. "She's still his toughest critic," said Elvira, chuckling.

Fabious was born in Oklahoma but grew up in Southeast Bakersfield. He picked cotton as a young boy on Belle Terrace and Cottonwood Road. He attended Col. Baker Elementary, Golden State Jr. High and South High School. He spent 27 years working for the Elk Hills oil field, and cooked from his barbecue truck in parking lots around Bakersfield. He opened his restaurant at Union Avenue and 8th Street in 2001.

Most people get their food to go from the shopping center suite, although there are tables with red chairs for sit-down customers. There are pictures of the dinner, dessert and side dishes on the walls, along with signs and pictures with Christian verses and a license plate reading, "This is Cajun Country."

"A lot of people come in on weekends with DVDs in their hands, pick up takeout and head home," said Elvira. Fabious' also does a good deal of catering for company lunches and events.

Customer favorites are the tri-tip, deep-fried turkey and ribs. The ribs come with the guarantee that if the meat doesn't fall off the bones, they're free.

Individual dinners, which include two side orders and a Pyrenees roll, include the deep fried Cajun turkey diner ($10.50), the hot link dinner ($8.50), and the Elvira Combo, which includes tri-tip, turkey, hot links, chicken and ribs ($18.50).

Other selections include Elvira's Mama Family Pack (serves five), which comes with tri-tip, turkey, hot links, chicken and ribs and two 16-ounce sides and Pyrenees rolls ($45), and a slab of pork spare ribs ($26).
Choose from side orders such as candied yams ($1.99), mustard greens ($1.99) and blackeye peas ($1.99).
A variety of sandwiches, served on a six-inch Pyrenees roll, are available from $3.99 to $6.99.

One new selection is the Oklahoma potato, a large baked potato topped with butter, Fabious' Special Seasoning, ranch dressing and cheese with no meat ($3.99), chili beans ($4.99), one meat ($5.99) or two meats ($6.99). This can serve as a complete meal, even for hearty eaters.

Elvira makes desserts for $2.99 per piece. Customer favorites are the peach cobbler and red velvet cake.

Fabious' Corner Best BBQ
13061 Rosedale Highway, Suite I
587-7302

Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday
10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday-Saturday
10 a.m.-9 p.m.