Bakersfield Life

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The Taste of the Town
Bakersfield’s great new restaurants
By Kevin Eubanks

It was just a short time ago when Bakersfield had its share of new restaurants opening, but it was difficult to differentiate those restaurants from the established ones just down the road. The goal for many entrepreneurs was simply to open a new Mexican or Italian or barbecue joint without thinking of how to make it unique and memorable for its guests.
The time of the same-old, same-old is gone for Bakersfield. New, exciting restaurants are popping up all over the city, and here’s a look at some of the best that have opened since the new year.

Tilted Kilt  2900 Calloway Drive • (661) 587-5426 • Opened August 2008

One of the newest restaurants in Bakersfield also has one of the most distinct atmospheres in town. Tilted Kilt offers a pub feel with a fusion of Irish, Scottish and English motifs, combined with an American sports bar theme to give Bakersfield one of its most unique restaurants yet.

On the walls sit 24 plasma television screens to go with a pair of 164-inch projections TVs. The wait staff wears midriff revealing tops with short kilts and knee-high stockings. And the Las Vegas, Nev.-based chain claims “a cold beer never looked so good.” But don’t mistake Tilted Kilt as simply a Hooters rip-off. Tilted Kilt offers much more than just hot wings and beer.

“We have traditional pub favorites like shepherd’s pie and fish and chips,” said Tilted Kilt’s Bakersfield location co-owner Jeremy Helper, “but we also have more American favorites like burgers and wings.”

The selection of sandwiches and burgers is extensive, including The Sloppy Jane that features either roast beef or turkey served on a bun with 1000 island dressing, swiss cheese and topped with house-made coleslaw.

But most of all, Tilted Kilt is about having fun, as some items on the menu would suggest, like The French, We Mean Irish Dip; The Philly, We Mean Scottish Cheese Steak; and the Kamana-Wana-Lei-U pizza, which is followed on the menu with the question “do Hawaiians wear kilts?”

Big Popy’s Deli
1927 20th St. • (661) 327-3354 • Opened March 2008

Just another of Bakersfield’s new upscale sandwich shops combines the feel of an old-time diner and the food of a culinary school-trained chef. The result is Big Popy’s Deli in Downtown Bakersfield, and until you taste the flavor combinations set in place at Big Popy’s, they can hardly be imagined.

In addition to some standards, like tri-tip, club and roast beef sandwiches, Big Popy’s offers up some unique sandwiches like the Crab Melt sandwich featuring crab mixed with herbs and cream cheese, roasted garlic-tomato aioli, cheddar, tomato and avocado on sourdough; Calabresse Grilled Cheese with Calabresse salami and smoked gouda on sourdough; and Pesto Chicken with the interestingly delightful combination of grilled chicken, prosciutto, melted provolone, pesto spread, lettuce and tomato on a hoagie roll.

But while these sandwiches are enticing, Big Popy’s is beginning to get quite a reputation for its assortment of pastrami sandwiches. “Our house specialty is our pastramis,” owner Christina Galvan said. “We cure and smoke it ourselves in house. In fact, we do all our meats in house except for the ham and prosciutto, which come from Italy.”

While the sandwiches would be enough for many, Big Popy’s also brings an old-time flair that just can’t be missed with retro signage throughout the interior, 38 different bottled sodas like Orange Crush, Bubble Up and Stewart’s Key Lime, and old-time candy for sale by the piece. But if time is too tight to see the interior of Big Popy’s, the restaurant also offers free delivery in Downtown Bakersfield.

Highland Cafe
2201 N. Chester Ave. • (661) 393-2669 • Opened February 2008

Oildale is certainly not known for its culinary expertise, but Darriel and J.D. Herron are doing their part to change that. Reopening the Highland Cafe in February after it had sat empty for nearly five years has given the North of the River crowd something that they simply haven’t had in the past – a fine dining experience close to home.

“I grew up in Oildale, but there was nothing out here of any quality,” co-owner Darriel Herron said. “You’d have to drive to Rosedale or the southwest to get that. It was just logical to open up here. Just because you live in Oildale doesn’t mean that you don’t want to eat good.”

Darriel, the younger of the father-son ownership team, is the chef and learned his trade under local legend Jack Williams of Bakersfield College and Stars Theatre fame, as well as working at the renowned Sage Room at Harvey’s in Lake Tahoe. His current restaurant could simply be called a barbecue restaurant, but it is that and so much more.

He’s been told that the Highland Cafe has the best burgers in town and the Pastrami Burger makes a great claim for that. It is a half-pound Certified Angus Beef patty topped with more than a quarter-pound of pastrami with cheddar cheese, mustard and pickles. Also try the Pulled Pork Dinner, which is pork that is smoked for three hours then slow-roasted overnight. It is served with barbecue sauce, two sides and fresh-made beer-bread muffins.

If possible, save room for dessert to try one of the Highland Cafe’s 30 different cheesecakes, with three or four different variations available daily.

Hourglass Kitchen & Bar
1120 Calloway Dr. • (661) 679-1977 • Opened May 2008

The name “Hourglass Kitchen and Bar” sat on a newly-erected building on the corner of Brimhall and Calloway for months creating anticipation for what exactly this new restaurant was going to offer. When Hourglass finally did open, it gave local residents another option for dining and nightlife. While the economic climate might not have been perfect to open a restaurant, Hourglass had been in the works for a long time.

“We had been working on it for two-and-a-half years,” owner Paula Hurd said. “We started on this before all the housing stuff went down.”

There might not be a more visually appealing restaurant in Bakersfield with the cool blue walls contrasted by the black tablecloths and chairs. That look, combined with the funky art on the walls and LED display lighting up the wall behind the bar, Hourglass takes cool to a whole new level with its looks.

The appetizers at Hourglass are drawing attention, like the BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wraps: sliced chipotle barbecue chicken with cabbage and cilantro on butter lettuce garnished with roasted corn avocado salsa. The Sliders are a classic, and the Twice Baked Potato Eggrolls might be the most unique item on the menu. This one-of-a-kind creation is twice-baked potatoes with cheddar cheese, green onions, bacon and sour cream wrapped into three egg rolls and served with chipotle ranch.

But don’t just go for the appetizers. Hourglass offers a number of sandwich, pasta, seafood and steak options to satisfy every palate.

The Orchid 
9500 Brimhall Road • (661) 587-8900 • Opened March 2008

The buzz that The Orchid created when it opened might make it seem that it has been open for several years now, but amazingly, this restaurant has only been open for six months. Make no mistake, though, The Orchid is still making the same great food that it made since day one. And while other restaurants might have struggled with the summer and the tough economic times, owner June Boerger’s restaurant is still buzzing.

“It doesn’t matter about the economy,” Boerger said. “It you have good food, you’re going to have success. I have a lot of confidence here.”

There’s no reason for her to not have confidence. Not only is her Bakersfield location doing well, but the original The Orchid restaurant is a highly successful enterprise near the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Pier in Southern California.

The Orchid has something for everyone. In addition to Thai classics like Pad Thai and some of the best curry in town, The Orchid also offers up specialties like Mac ‘N’ Cheese (macaroni and cheese with five types of cheeses, truffles and lobster), Lamb Chop with Spicy Mango Sauce (lemongrass and herb-marinated French-cut lamb chops topped with spicy mango avocado sauce served with steak fries), Kurobuta Pork Chop (Kurobuta pork chop served with risotto and grilled vegetables), and Garlic Salmon with Pesto Cream (pan-seared Atlantic salmon topped with sautéed French green beans in pesto cream sauce and served with garlic mashed potatoes).

Camino Real Restaurante
3500 Truxtun Ave. • (661) 852-0493 • Opened May 2008

When stepping into Camino Real Restaurante, you aren’t just stepping into a family-owned restaurant; you are walking into the Ocampo family’s home. Or, at the very least, their second home. The restaurant is owned by the Ocampos, ranging from parents Fernando and Ruth, brothers Alejandro, Juan, Miguel and Fernando Jr., and sisters Magdalena and Patricia. This is truly a family affair and the interior of the restaurant reflects each member of the family’s personality – literally.
“This is something that not many people know, but everything in the restaurant has come from our own homes,” Alejandro Ocampo said. “With this restaurant, we wanted to combine our Mexican culture and our living in California. My sister is a fourth-grade teacher, and in fourth grade they teach missions, so we went with a mission look inside.”

Alejandro Ocampo was the only one from the family with restaurant experience, so he handles much of the day-to-day operations, but he made it clear that “my whole family is really into food.” One bite of the house specialty, Relleno Relleno, and the fact that the family is really into food becomes clear. Relleno means to stuff, and Camino Real stuffs the chile twice, thus the name Relleno Relleno. It starts as a freshly prepared chile relleno, and then it is filled with seafood and vegetables and topped with pepper jack sauce.

But settling on a single dish might be more difficult than just picking the Relleno Relleno. Camino Real has a whopping 87 different dishes on its menu, and that doesn’t even count combinations, choose-your-own-meat burritos and fajitas, kids meals, and 20 different desserts. There is plenty to do while deciding, though, with live salsa music on Friday nights and a classical guitarist being added soon on another night.

Sertino’s Cafe
3541 Panama Lane • (661) 827-0494 • Opened June 2008

For most local coffee shops, going head-to-head with international giant Starbucks seems about as smart as Urkel picking a fight with Hulk Hogan. The mindset for many is simply to stay out of the way and let the big guy do what he wants while the little guy sits on the sideline and hopes to get whatever action is left over. Unintentionally, though, Bakersfield newcomer Sertino’s Cafe is butting heads with big-shot Starbucks – and is actually doing quite well.

“Business is getting a lot better,” Sertino’s owner Joe Akroush said. “We have a lot of people who have tried our coffee and said they’re never going anywhere else – even Starbucks.”

The reason is the freshness of the coffee. Sertino’s comes from an area of the country that knows its coffee, and the Portland, Ore.-based franchised restaurant certainly doesn’t disappoint. The beans aren’t roasted until Akroush orders them, and he claims they arrive at his Bakersfield location still hot. Those beans aren’t ground until they’re ready to be brewed. The result is a superior cup of coffee.

But don’t just go to Sertino’s for the coffee. The warm wood and earth tone interior is reminiscent of a classy Seattle coffeehouse, and in the northwest, those coffeehouses also serve food. Be sure to pick up one of Sertino’s paninis, especially the Italian Chicken Panini with roasted red peppers, chicken, pepperoni, mozzarella, pesto sauce and spices, all grilled on focaccia bread. This type of unique and creative combination is typical of all of Sertino’s paninis.

Sertino’s also offers 20 different hot and cold sandwiches with premium meats and cheeses on a selection of four different breads, as well as premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, glacé, smoothies and more. It’s a piece of the Pacific Northwest brought into Central California and something that no one from Bakersfield should be deprived of.

Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli
2900 Calloway Dr. • (661) 387-6500 • Opened March 2008

The new wave of not-just-another-sandwich shops came to Bakersfield in March earlier this year with Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli leading the way in Northwest Bakersfield. Heidi’s not only joined this new trend of high-end sandwiches locally, but it also led the charge of four hot new restaurants in the northwest located less than two miles from each other.

Heidi’s sandwiches might be delicious, but it really is the base of those sandwiches that keep customers coming back. The nine different types of breads – all baked fresh in-house each day – are simply gourmet, with choices like ciabatta, butter-top white, pumpernickel and sourdough.

“Our bread is what sells us,” said Alley Moyer, who owns the franchise along with  her daughter Sara. “And the Carrot Cake and Texas Sheet Cake are my own recipe.”
That’s right. Even though it is a franchise, the Moyers have placed their personal touch on this restaurant with their own additions, and the Carrot Cake has become a top seller from the start.

Of the sandwiches, the Transplanted New Yorker sandwich with mortadella, cappalcola, ham, salami, avocado and special sauce will transplant you directly back to Brooklyn, while the Prosciutto sandwich is sumptuous. Heidi’s also offers numerous vegetarian options that have become immediate hits, like the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich.

Famous Dave’s
7777 Rosedale Highway • (661) 829-2128 • Opened February 2008
Upon first glance, the interior of Famous Dave’s might not lead a person to want to sit down and enjoy a meal. The trash can lids that the restaurant chain serves its barbecue feasts on is enough to turn a stomach before realizing that it is all part of the décor. Yes, they actually did it on purpose.

According to the menu, the food is served on the garbage can lids “because that was Dave’s very first backyard smoker.” A good enough reason perhaps, and somehow, the eclectic décor somehow works together in an untraditional, cluttered sort of way. Imagine an old, dusty barbecue house, then get rid of the dust and make all of the hodgepodge combination of light fixtures and signage brand new, and you have Famous Dave’s.

While the décor is certainly different, the food is as well – in a good way. Famous Dave’s calls its cooking “Real honest barbecue.” And what exactly is real honest barbecue? Here’s an excerpt from the menu after discussing Famous Dave’s cooking methods: “What does it all add up to? More than 200 awards and one delicious dilemma: How to decide what to order!”

When sitting down at Famous Dave’s, deciding what to order certainly is a dilemma. It’s hard to go wrong with the All-American BBQ Feast with enough food to feed a family and more: A full slab of St. Louis-style spareribs, a whole chicken, a half-pound of either Texas beef brisket or Georgia chopped pork, coleslaw, fries, beans, four corn-on-the-cob and four corn muffins.

But in reality, close your eyes and point at the menu. With the quality of food at Famous Dave’s, it really doesn’t matter what is ordered; it’s going to be good.

Elaine’s Cafe and Market
1717 20th St. • (661) 869-2233 • Opened June 2008
The next big thing in vegan food might be expected to come from trendy Hollywood or New York City, or from the granola-eating hipsters from the Pacific Northwest, but in actuality it might just be coming from right here in Bakersfield. Tim and Tracy Thompson, who recently opened Elaine’s downtown, might steal away the niche market for vegan ice cream around the country with their Thompson’s Old Fashioned Ice Creme, made with absolutely no dairy products.

This vegan ice cream is the first of its kind – the Thompsons have a patent pending – and is made from a cashew and almond base. Tracy Thompson took an old family recipe for ice cream on July 4, 2007 and made it vegan, adding a mimic cream to duplicate the taste of real cream. Her husband loved it and the rest is history. The Thompsons now have an exclusive contract with a mimic cream company and packaging nearly completed, and the amount of time before Thompson’s Old Fashioned Ice Creme hits supermarkets is short.

The vegan ice cream is already available for purchase at Elaine’s, along with a small selection of sandwiches and salads. The sandwich menu includes the Club Sandwich with vegan lunch meat, vegan cheese, vegan bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, Vegenaise and mustard on wheat bread, and costs a very affordable $4. Also on the menu are vegan versions of chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches.

“We know we have a niche,” Tracy Thompson said. “We cater to those vegans and vegetarians, but also those who aren’t. People are just happy that there is somewhere downtown to get something healthy for lunch.”

Also check out Elaine’s on Sundays for homemade vegeburgers, rosemary potatoes and rose tea. And be sure to not forget the ice cream for dessert.