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Dining Diva's at Mama Roomba
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In every issue of Bakersfield Life, our Dining Divas take a look at one of Bakersfield’s premier restaurants. This month the ladies take in the authentic Caribbean tastes of Mama Roomba. Our divas took notes on their experience, to bring you a look inside what is quickly becoming a staple of downtown Bakersfield.New Place For Lunch


Getting To Know The Divas:

Katie Kirschenmann says when she is not finishing painting commissions, volunteering, or working on her home renovations, she is on a date with her husband. Despite Brian’s hectic schedule, they manage to steal a day to go wine tasting or dine in their favorite local restaurant. More often than not, they cook dinner at home while sipping on wine: truly the perfect date.

Penny Rafferty is a past president for Junior League of Bakersfield and a member of JLB for the past 13 years. She is a graduate of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Leadership Bakersfield class of 2007.  Penny says “I have lived in Bakersfield for 16 years. So you can see I am not a native, but I am an active part of the community.”

Lydia Rowles says her all around favorite food has got to be Mexican. When she moved here 12 years ago she had no idea what Mexican food was. Lydia says, “My first dinner out in Bakersfield was a job interview at The Red Pepper. I didn’t know what anything was and I was too self-conscious to ask. I think I chickened out and just ordered a taco.”

Tracy Walker Kiser owns and operates H. Walker’s Clothing Co. She says, “I go to work and play.  The girls who work at the store, Patty, Christine, and Ravelle, are a joy to have around and truly remarkable women. We have fun together at the store, we socialize outside the work place and we volunteer together in the community.”


Lunch in Downtown Bakersfield

Lydia - The fun of Mama Roomba started before I ever got there. Tracy called me from her shop around the corner and said, “Do you want to meet the rest of us here and walk over?” Walk? In Bakersfield? What a wacky, zany and downright nutty idea. Sure I’d LOVE to walk over. It was good to be reminded that yes, there are more and more great dining options popping up downtown that are within (gasp!) walking distance.

Penny - When we entered this intimate restaurant there was one other group of diners having lunch at 11:30. By the time we left at 1:00 people were waiting for a table. This is a testament to this cozy and stylish restaurant. The clientele ranged from ladies lunching to men having a business lunch to a table celebrating a little girl’s birthday.

Ambiance

Lydia - The decor inside is very... “sunshiney.” From the warm yellow walls to the brightly colored tablecloths and artwork, you feel like you’ve left Bakersfield and stepped into another part of the world. Add in the island-style music playing in the background and it feels like vacation.

Tracy - The bright colorful décor fills the lively dining room and the bar is cozy and inviting.

Penny - Walking in you are greeted by sublime green walls and dark wood. The decorations range from bongo drums to pineapples. The music is lively and so is the wait staff.

The Menu

Katie - Mama Roomba is a tapas bar with a Caribbean flare. “Tapas” is the name for a wide variety of appetizers in Spanish cuisine. The word tapas is derived from the Spanish verb tapar “to cover” because the original tapas were in fact small slices of bread used to cover glasses of Andalusian sherry in order to protect them from fruit flies.  From its humble origins tapas have evolved into an entire cuisine. The wonderful thing about eating in a tapas restaurant is that you can order an assortment of dishes and share small bites with the entire table. It’s a lot of fun.

Penny - The lunch menu is one page long and features Tapas, Sopas y Ensaladas, Sandwiches and Sides.

Lydia - There are eleven different tapas on the lunch menu. The rest of the menu consists of Caribbean-inspired soup, salads and sandwiches as well as an assortment of side dishes.

Our Meal

Lydia - After ordering our drinks, Penny quickly ordered three different sides: sweet potato fries, cassava fries and plantain chips. I must admit I questioned the need for two different types of fries but I quickly saw the error in my judgment. It was the sweet potato fries that stole the show. Sliced into shoestring-sized strips, fried, salted and served with habanero ketchup, the fries are a wonderfully unique spin on something very familiar. Needless to say, they didn’t last long.

Penny - The cassava fries were Yukon potatoes fried and served like French fries. They were lightly salted and golden brown. The Mojo Ketchup had a kicky flavor and worked nicely with both the sweet potato fries and the cassava fries. I alternated between the sauces and the fries.
Next came the sweet plantain chips. They were fried like potato chips with a spicy sauce drizzled on top for added flavor. True to form, I dipped these in the various sauces to mix up the flavors of sweet, salty and spicy. All three of these were worth ordering again; just make sure you have enough to share!

Katie - The next dish served was my choice of Skillet Shrimp soul style in a Spicy Cream Sauce. The shrimp arrived sizzling in the same small skillet in which they were prepared, smothered in a “soul sauce” that certainly lived up to its title.  The creamy sauce definitely had a spicy soul.

Penny - My entrée was Jerk Chicken Skewers. The chicken was marinated in jerk chicken sauce and then cooked over an open flame. They were then topped with light jerk chicken sauce. I paired it with arroz  blanco (white rice); this was a tasty selection for me. I loved the chicken’s zest and the sweet spices that were in the rice.

Tracy - Next we had Calamari Frito with Chipotle Aioli that was flavorful and not greasy.

Katie - Mama Roomba calamari doesn’t disappoint. The plate arrived mounded high with salty golden brown rings that disappeared almost as fast as the fries. I think it is safe to say that all four of us highly recommend calamari here!

Tracy - Now if you are keeping track, there were only four of us having lunch and we were totally full at this point but we still had to sample the Chicken Paillard in Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce. 

Penny – The Chicken Paillard came out in its own saucepan and was divine. Paired with the rice that we had, I could have kept eating!

Lydia - The Chicken Paillard is grilled strips of chicken. Like the jerk chicken I thought the grilled flavor of the chicken contrasted well with the sauce and, like the shrimp, I found myself coveting the extra sauce.

Impressions

Lydia - Overall, I really enjoyed the tapas experience. The fact that the food is meant to share really seems to add to both the camaraderie and conversation. I appreciated that our food didn’t arrive all at once. You get a chance to savor the different flavors of each dish before the next is brought out hot to the table.

Penny - There were so many more choices that we did not get to try! I guess we will have to go back for dinner to try the different selections that are on the dinner menu and not on the lunch menu.

Tracy - We definitely all agreed, Mama Roomba is the perfect gathering place.  Downtown has changed so much you need to experience all the life it has to offer.

Katie - Mama Roomba is located in a district that is fast becoming the cultural hub of our city. I think there is something liberating about leaving the car parked and strolling on foot from boutiques and galleries to coffee houses and restaurants. I feel as though when I choose to shop and dine downtown I am in some small way contributing to the renaissance that is taking place in our city center. Mama Roomba central location is as unique as their menu and allows diners the opportunity to enjoy all the charm that our downtown has to offer.

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Comment From: jgranados

Keep up the good work; I am looking forward to your next review/column. Who would know that this little nook of Bakersfield (Baker, 21st & 19th Street) is home to 5 of the best local restaurants: Wool Growers, Luigi's, Narducci's, Pyrenees, and Arizona Café. I wish that the City, County, or businesses would invest more to revitalize and showcase this area.