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This owner's zest helps success
Effort shows in improved quality on new menu despite a few letdowns
| Wednesday, Apr 18 2007 6:15 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Apr 19 2007 7:10 AM
E-mails are still streaming in from my "recommended restaurant" package that ran last December. One came from Jim Southerd, aka Jimmy the Greek, who took over the old Goose Loonies and transformed it into Kosmos Restaurant and Sports Bar.
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Let's get one confession out of the way. I know Jimmy, a former Californian employee, and he knows me. We weren't the best of friends, more like acquaintances, but Jimmy likes food, and Jimmy liked to talk about food when he saw me in the hallway.
I clearly think he's more suited for the restaurant business than computers, which, after all, have quite a nasty aftertaste. Anyway, Jimmy sent me an e-mail with some polite complaints about being rated behind Tailgaters in the best sports bar category. He also complained about no category for Greek food, but there are so few restaurants offering that cuisine, it made no sense to have its own category.
I give Jimmy props for going out and continuing to improve the quality of his food in an effort to bring in new customers. "My Philly steak sandwich is the talk of the town, as well as my wings on Wednesday. Or try my newest appetizer, popcorn chicken and fries -- you cannot stop eating them. I switched to much higher-quality beef patties, Harris Ranch Certified Natural Angus Beef patties. I can use the boost of a good review, as I know I will receive, I am that confident!"
Well, based on our visits, he's earned it, though I could in no way match his overwhelming enthusiasm.
We first visited on a Friday night when basketball (college and NBA) was playing on all the TVs and various belly dancers were shimmying in one of the dining rooms. As my wife was my companion, I pretended not to notice. Anyway, we started ordering everything we could from Jimmy's list of new and improved dishes in the e-mail, picking up the popcorn chicken with crinkle-cut fries appetizer ($5.95), as well as that Philly cheese steak ($7.95) and the Chicago Bull cheeseburger made with the Angus patties ($8.95). In fact, there are four specialty burgers made with the Angus patty, but you can upgrade any of the existing burgers to an Angus patty for only $1 more.
Now, among foodies, the Angus brand name is losing cachet, as some believe it's branded on any beef if a rancher is willing to front the money. But the stark contrast in the Kosmos burger with the better beef is noticeable, with my companion noting she'd definitely pay the extra dollar to get another burger like this.
The Chicago burger is made with great, thick bacon, an onion ring, barbecue sauce and its lone inferior ingredient, a slice of American cheese. Put some medium cheddar on that and you'd have the Windy City talking about that as if it were Michael Jordan in his prime. Very juicy and smoky. If there's one thing we don't lack in Bakersfield, it's decent burger options.
The cheese steak was odd, not made from finely minced, grilled beef but thinly sliced tri-tip with lots of grilled onions and green peppers and a generous portion of Swiss cheese, fully melted, on a toasted French roll. The purist in me did not like it, but I'd order it again in a heartbeat.
Not everything was great. The clam chowder was too thick, strong enough to hold up a spoon. On the plus side, it was thick with clam bits. And the popcorn chicken mentioned above was oddly shaped, like miniature oil barrels, and not freshly battered. A tie-in to a local product? Doubtful. But as mentioned above, it was hard to stop eating it.
Another oddity was my companion's glass of red wine, which was brought to the table in one of those tiny little bottles that you get on an airplane when you order wine. A lot more profit in serving the house red out of a box, Jimmy. Don't leave the easy profits behind!
We had to go back for wing night on Wednesday, mostly because it's such an eastern and Midwestern tradition. I've been in places where each wing bit is a quarter, and you can mix and match your flavors. The Kosmos product is made from huge chickens on steroids. These are mega wings. You get eight for $3.95, and it's enough for a meal. There is "hot" and "suicide."
My son went for the homicidal version and loved them, bragging about how they cleared out his sinuses. My companion chose the gyro ($5.95), and it was excellent mostly because the lamb was so tender, juicy and fragrant with garlic.
There are endless other new items, including Redhook Ale shrimp, spicy Buffalo shrimp and Cajun-style peel and eat shrimp ($6.95), with karaoke on Thursday nights. And Kosmos has the most extensive Greek menu in town, including gyros and souvlaki ($6.95, made with marinated pork).
But the good news about Kosmos is that Jimmy the Greek is not resting on his laurels, and he's scrambling to make his place a success. I think with that attitude, it's gonna happen.
Kosmos Restaurant and Sports Bar
1623 19th. St.
324-4286
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday during football season.
Prices: Appetizers $4.95-$17.95, soups and salads $2.45-$7.95, hot sandwiches $4.95-$8.95, entrees $8.95-$15.95.
Payment: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover and all ATM cards accepted. Does not accept personal checks or The Californian’s Press Pass discount.
Dress: Casual.
Amenities: Wheelchair-accessible; full bar service; some vegetarian options.
Food: three and a half stars
Atmosphere: three stars
Service: three and a half stars
Next week: Si Senor Grill