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Tittl review: It's all about the sand dabs at Uricchio's

Eatery still on its game after all these years

BY PETE TITTL, Contributing columnist
e-mail: ptittl@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Dec 19 2007 11:30 AM

Last Updated: Wednesday, Dec 19 2007 11:46 AM

You can go to Uricchio's Trattoria time and again, and you just don't see the slippage. Actually keeping a restaurant running along at a high level is an exhausting enterprise, but somehow this place makes it seem like a piece of cake. The menu doesn't change radically, but it isn't tired, the kitchen staff is sharp, the wait staff always seems happy to be working there and the prices are reasonable enough to make a visit seem more feasible than a special occasion treat.

We went over the Thanksgiving holiday when our daughter was home from school because Uricchio's is one of those Bakersfield places like Jake's Original Tex-Mex Cafe that she gets a craving for when she's out of town. We went early on a Saturday night because we didn't have reservations (I'd be sure to call ahead so you don't need to do that) and found almost everything we ordered to be first rate.

While working on a story for a year-end package, my editor asked me to create a list of "must order" specialties from local restaurants and I absolutely have to put the sand dabs ($16.95) from this restaurant on that list. They are amazing, perhaps especially if you're not a big fan of seafood. These three light, fresh whitefish filets served in a lemon-butter-wine sauce are simple, but that's what makes them so delectable. It's like a good excuse to eat butter, I guess, especially when they serve fresh-made mashed potatoes with them. A reader told me about them some years ago and I remember the waitress telling me that some customers come in just for that entreé. I can't recall another restaurant in town that offers them. It's a Pacific Ocean fish that is caught in the wild but tastes mild and sweet enough to suggest a freshwater fish. Most interesting. This version is pan-fried with a slight crispiness to the exterior.

But in previous years I have written (also after hearing from a reader) about the great steaks at Uricchio's, specifically the New York strip. But we must sample pasta, so we chose a gnocchi ($14.95) with asparagus tips and sun-dried tomatoes. It comes with an alfredo sauce but my companion asked for a switch to a marinara and the kitchen complied without a fuss. I think the switch subdued the presence of the two vegetables, which certainly wasn't the fault of the kitchen. I was pleased at how firm the gnocchi were to the bite, though my companion thought they erred too far on the side of firmness.

Also worth recommending is the pork chop ($12.95), the filet mignon with porcini mushroom sauce ($29.95) and one of the specialty dishes, chicken and sausage a la Nick ($15.95).

Not everything was perfect. I find the overall restrained use of garlic to be uncomfortably close to Olive Garden, though at least the pasta is not as mushy as that restaurant. I also thought the dressing on the house salad (ordered by my companion) to have too strong of a mayonnaise presence, something that seems too "old school" for me. And I was a bit shocked that the bread (not warm) at the beginning of the meal came only with butter and not olive oil. Interestingly, there was a pronounced hint of lemon in the butter.

Uricchio's Trattoria can still be recommended for a fine dining experience.

Uricchio’s Trattoria, 1400 17th St., 326-8870

Hours open: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. Dinner, 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations recommended for dinner (lunch reservations accepted for parties of five or more only).

Prices: Appetizers $5.95 to $10.95, soup $2.95 to $5.50, salad $4.75 to $13.95, pasta courses $10.95 to $17.95, second course entrees $12.95 to $35.95. Half pasta orders available for children.

Payment options: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover and personal checks accepted. Does not accept The Californian’s Press Pass.

Dress: Casually dressy

Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; full bar service; some vegetarian options.

Food: 3 1⁄2 stars

Atmosphere: 3 1⁄2 stars

Service: 3 1⁄2 stars

Next week: Cafe Med