December 15, 2018 The Year in Dining 2018 Restaurant critic Pete Tittl, Californian staff and community members look back at the Bakersfield restaurant scene 2 The Bakersfield Californian Saturday, December 15, 2018 The Year in Dining 2018 This year’s guide gives up plenty to chew on BY STEFANI DIAS [email protected] ood is a special topic since, unlike other ne- HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN cessities in life, it’s actual fun to discuss. Along Sung Suh of ReMix Asian Kitchen holds a North Shore shrimp plate. Suh says the shrimp plate is found on the North with common getting-to-know-you ques- Shore of Hawaii. He serves it with his own potato and macaroni salad and his special coleslaw. Ftions like “What do you do for a living?” and “Are you married?,” people usually want to know where you like to dine or what you enjoy eating. While many people don’t make it past the con- versation stage, some hit the keyboard to com- pose love letters to their favorite restaurants and dishes. Foremost is The Californian’s restaurant Pile on meat or go plant-based: critic Pete Tittl, who in this guide shares with us his best-of lists for 2018. He starts by looking at trends, which ran the gamut from meat-centric barbecue — enjoying a local revival — to the continued rise of plant- Diners have best of both worlds based alternatives. The latter is not only good news for the vegetarians and vegans in the com- BY PETE TITTL restaurants this year, and you find rather than full time. Restaurants munity but also those looking for a healthier diet, For The Californian Dad’s Barbecue in Shafter (worth the catering to that can benefit from that. balancing those burgers from Moo Creamery Things are changing in the restau- drive), Prime Time BBQ Meats & Deli Just look at how things are changing (like the behemoth on our cover) with a salad rant business in ways that would have (downtown), Pork Chop & Bubba’s (a across the board. 24th Street Cafe from Locale Farm to Table or Firestone Grill. (Pete been hard to imagine five years ago. very humble place like most barbecue offers a burger made with an Impos- recommends the spot for its barbecue and its Even in Bakersfield. places are) and Remix Asian Kitchen sible brand meatless patty. Try it and greens under our casual dining list.) People are eating differently, and (Hawaiian/Asian fusion barbecue), you’ll understand. Even the hot spot Speaking of casual dining, Bakersfield has its the industry has been affected by veg- all after Brooklyn’s BBQ and Salty’s ex- for carnivores, Firestone Grill, has plate full, with Tittl naming more than 20 spots anism and plant-based diets, the rise panding to two locations in previous been promoting a vegetarian option, to relax and nosh. For occasions that warrant of the ketogenic diet, gluten-free op- years boosted the availability of this an avocado sandwich that I under- a finer dining experiences, he has his top 10 tions and more. Sure, the old standby type of food. I’d even throw Cowboy stand has been a hit at their San Luis recommendations. steakhouses and Mexican restaurants Chicken in the mix even though it’s a Obispo location. And no guide would be complete without his are there but when you look at places Texas-based chain that specializes in This is a trend with momentum. must-order items. Of course, chile verde, in its like Cafe Smitten and Locale Farm to wood-fired rotisserie chicken rather They may not get you completely, but many forms — solo or on top of bean dip or a Table you see different fare available than a full barbecue place. one meal at a time and before you pizza — made the cut as did the home cooking of that is not just designed to attract mil- But let’s get back to the healthy fare, know it you’ve sworn off red meat. Cope’s Knotty Pine Cafe, the hot and spicy shrimp lennials. Aging baby boomers may be as that’s a growth field and we have You’ve been warned. at Lam’s, the fire chicken at Crazy BBQ and much, opting for a tad less red meat. Declin- seen poke bowl places pop up all over The classy casual trend has contin- much more. ing health can motivate effectively. town. Sushi got popular long ago, ued both nationwide and in Bakers- In the courtroom, attorneys must wait for What’s been happening here this so this is a logical step and usually a field. You see it in places like Sonder, judges or juries to render a verdict, but in the year that seems to be a direct coun- better value. And you have places like which emphasize a relaxed dining dining room they call the shots. Top legal eagles terpoint to that trend has been a Better Bowls thriving downtown. I format that seems more in tune with H.A. Sala and David Torres share their favorites in full-on barbecue revival. I remember wonder if places like this benefit from millennials than a formal fine din- town. the days when all we had in town people who are “trending vegetarian” ing experience. The idea of ordering And Mossman’s possibly oldest longtime cus- was Hickory House and Mr. Tibbs, rather than fully committed vegetari- at a counter and having your food tomer, Ken Vetter, sat down with Herb Benham but with all the great new options in ans. I’ve known some people who go delivered to the table (Cafe Smitten) to discuss his favorite local spot. At age 90, the in- town in recent years, especially 2018, a day or so at a time on a is something familiar to younger surance agent has been eating at the coffee shop we could eventually make a name for plant-based clientele, and there are advantages inside Westchester Bowling Alley daily since 1951. ourselves, maybe not on the level of diet to that system for the house (fewer Journalists dig for loose change for lunch as Austin, Memphis, Kansas City, Nash- employees). hard as they dig for dirt on their stories, so we ville or Charleston, S.C., but at One trend that truly does make tapped our team for their picks as well. Sports least impressive enough sense for Bakersfield has been the editor Teddy Feinberg, who moved to Bakersfield to make a mark in Cali- emphasis on locally sourced prod- last year, continues to explore the local dining fornia, a state really not ucts that you see at places like scene and shared his current obsession: the known for great barbecue. Locale, and the success of oper- breakfast burrito at Donut Nation and Estrella And barbecuing meats ations like Autonomy Farms, Bakery. dates back to Colonial which can tout a recent men- Columnist Robert Price outdid himself — is times. George Washington tion in the New York Times that even possible? — by venturing out to try wrote about barbecuing in for supplying L.A.-based as many Buffalo wings as he could cram into a his diaries. It’s American! restaurants. That old idea happy hour. He shares some favorites but admits Just look at the gems that we do live in America’s the search continues. on the list of best new breadbasket sure would If this was appetizer enough, dig into this FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN seem to be a natural asset guide and start planning your next local dining for our restaurants. adventure. American bowl from Better Bowls. Please see TRENDS | 4 Saturday, December 15, 2018 The Bakersfield Californian 3 4 The Bakersfield Californian Saturday, December 15, 2018 The Year in Dining 2018 Best new restaurants Passionate entrepreneurs make their mark BY PETE TITTL tri-tip sandwich, made with beef For The Californian marinated in Korean spices, is in itself amazing and a must-try on the first hile 2018 didn’t see the explo- visit. We’ve also loved the lemon fried sion of exciting new restau- chicken sandwich, the North Shore rants we saw the previous shrimp and the pulled pork fried rice. Wyear, we did get a nice mix of Look for a report in The Californian stylish eateries that will probably be soon about new menu items. The keeping us happy for years. place is small, located amidst medical Here are the nominees: and dental offices, but it’s worth seek- ing out. DAD’S BBQ & CATERING 189 E. Lerdo Highway in Shafter ROLLS AND GRILL A very small humble, family-run 3803 Ming Ave. place that concentrates on barbecue You may notice a theme developing prepared with dry rubs, though there here. Young entrepreneur with a pas- are house-made sauces on the side. sion for food opens small place with The chicken is a particularly smoky decent food at moderate prices trying delight, and the brisket would not be to attract customers sharing their rejected in Texas, which is high praise. sensibilities. Owners are Dr. Dahn Worth recommending are the bacon Nguyen, a local family doctor, and his mac n cheese burger and the bris- wife, Loan, who described herself on ket cheeseburger (with pepper jack the restaurant’s Facebook page as a cheese, coleslaw and barbecue sauce), “food enthusiast who dreamt of hav- as well as the chicken wings, which are ing her own Banh Mi stand one day.” smoked before frying. I think you can see that passion in the HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN rolls and sandwiches.