Bakersfield Life

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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 local flavor of Frugatti’s Italian Eatery. Our divas took notes on their experience to bring you a look inside what has become a family tradition for many
Bakersfield residents.

New Place For Lunch

About Frugatti’s
Tracy - Real Italian by real Italians. This is the motto for Frugatti’s Italian Eatery. Located on one of the busiest corners in Bakersfield, Frugatti’s is the prominent eatery on the corner of Coffee Road and Truxtun Avenue. Since 1990, Ralph Fruguglietti has been serving authentic Southern Italian cooking inspired by his mom “Nonni” and his Grumento Nova, Italy upbringing.

Ambiance
Katie - The weather was perfect for lunching al fresco on Frugatti’s charming patio. The beautiful sight and sound of the fountain yards away from our table made our lunch feel special.

Lydia - Situated in the shade of their signature giant tomato, the patio has about a half-dozen tables flanked by potted red geraniums. The space heaters did a great job of taking the nip out of the spring air, leaving us free to enjoy our lunch and the pleasant sound of water splashing in the fountain out front.

Tracy - Frugatti’s owner Ralph joined us and talked about his recent trip to Venice and the inspiration he found to create a charming outdoor atmosphere for his restaurant. This type of detail that Ralph put into his décor and atmosphere truly makes a difference on the overall experience and curb appeal of this shopping center, and is a fantastic addition for our community.

A look at the menu
Tracy - Looking over the vast selection in the menu, we realized too many choices for us women are not a good thing. This place has it all; from steaks to seafood, chicken and pasta and the Frugatti’s trademark, wood-fired pizza.

Starters
Penny - We started out our meal with a basket of bread. The rolls are the size of softballs, no kidding. They were warm and perfect. You can pair them with real butter, the olive oil that they put on the table or just eat them plain. I love to dunk mine in the olive oil with the red pepper flakes for a kick.
   My house salad was a crisp mix of greens topped with homemade croutons, tomatoes and the house creamy garlic dressing, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and accented with a pepperoncini. I love the creamy garlic dressing; it is smooth and has a kick of garlic. I don’t recommend it if you need to work with people in the afternoon.

Our Meal
Lydia - For lunch we usually try to pick things from different sections of the menu. Tracy chose the Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pizza ($15.99) and I tried the Thai Chicken Salad ($10.99). Katie and Penny both went with pastas. Katie got Theresa’s Favorite Tortellini ($15.99) and Penny tried Nonni’s Pasta al Pomodoro ($12.99). While the Divas don’t typically show financial restraint (we aren’t buying), it’s worth noting that Frugatti’s has about ten budget-friendly lunch specials. Three of those are daily specials that include some combination of soup, salad and sandwich with a drink for less than $10.

Tracy - For me, the wood-fired Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pizza was amazing. The pizza’s size is very generous. I shared a slice with everyone and still had leftovers. The pizza was prepared with sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, mozzarella cheese, diced chicken and topped with a roasted red pepper pesto sauce. The pizza had a great slightly spicy kick and was not greasy or ordinary like some commercial pizzas.

Lydia - I have to say that pizzas at Frugatti’s are really something special. Their wood-fired pizza oven does wonderful things to a crust. Crispy and light with a nice smoky flavor, it adds a great dimension to a pizza no matter what your toppings.

Penny - Nonni’s Pasta al Pomodoro is incredible. It is spaghetti served with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh cooked tomatoes, herbs, spices and Parmesan. It’s simple and delicious. While the portions are huge, the benefit was that I got to enjoy it for lunch the next day.

Katie - There is a good reason why this pasta dish is Theresa’s favorite: The combination of sweet-tart sun-dried tomatoes with a savory mixture of cheeses bound together with cream is just delectable. Theresa’s Favorite Tortellini is a very good bet not to mention a good value. You get a huge portion of pasta that can easily be shared. I left for home with enough food to feed my husband quite well.

Lydia - My salad consisted of a huge amount of diced chicken breast on top of a mixture of shredded iceberg, red pepper and
julienned carrots. The almond and crispy rice noodle garnish added a nice crunch. I liked the fact that the dressing was served in a small bowl at the center of the salad. That way I had control of the dreaded dressing calories.

Dessert
Katie - Despite the fact that I was self conscious about the copious amount of pasta I just consumed, I managed to make room for homemade cheesecake drenched in cherries. All the desserts on Frugatti’s menu are homemade and from personal experience I can tell you that they are all fabulous. But, I have a particular weakness for cheesecake so I wrestled Tracy, Penny and Lydia into sharing a well-sized slice. They didn’t complain too much about my demand – I mean request. With four forks at work the cheesecake didn’t stand a chance. It’s funny how four women who all claim to be full can devour cheesecake in seconds. Our slice was rich, thick and creamy without feeling like a lead brick inside the tummy like some cheesecakes tend to do.

Impressions
Katie - One of the great aspects of Bakersfield is our second-to-none spring weather, and the climate we’ve been experiencing lately could not be more perfect for enjoying food and friends outdoors. Our lunchtime gang was thrilled to have the opportunity to enjoy ourselves al fresco. The sights and sounds of Frugatti’s geranium-accented patio and beautiful courtyard fountain went hand-in-hand with the gorgeous day and gave us a charming escape from our busy lives. After such a relaxing and filling lunch we all found it hard to find momentum to rejoin reality. If you crave good food, atmosphere and time well spent with friends, then give lunch on the patio at Frugatti’s a try. You are sure not to be disappointed. But make sure to get there early so that you can grab a table close to the fountain.