Hungry buckaroos know where the good stuff is served
| Thursday, Mar 19 2009 09:29 AM
Last Updated Thursday, Mar 19 2009 09:29 AM
Contributing columnist
One might have wondered how the Crystal Palace would survive the death of founder Buck Owens. Would the attraction fade over time? Would all the other forces that seem to threaten live music in our era conspire with his passing to take the place down?
I'm happy to report that with the help of his son Buddy Alan Owens, the Buckaroos and singer Monty Byrom, it's still a great weekend dinner spot. The food is just as good, if not better, and though there's a $5 charge to visit (I recall getting free admission with dinner a year ago), I don't begrudge the restaurant that if it'll help keep the mystique alive.
Bakersfield's favorite son is still a presence on the walls and on the videos playing on the big screens on stage. When we visited on a Saturday night they were playing some of the old broadcasts of the "Buck Owens' Ranch," which were taped in the '60s in Oklahoma City. The tables ringing the stage at different levels leave every seat a good view of the stage. We were seated in the upper deck looking down on the stage and dance floor.
The Crystal Palace is still something of a folksy event place. The musicians got started about 8:30 p.m., and people were scrawling requests and birthday and anniversary announcements on napkins. Between songs, Buddy Alan and the Buckaroos would banter with the customers. One woman that night was celebrating her birthday at the Crystal Palace for the 12th year in a row. Wow. The place looks like something you'd see at Disneyland with its fake storefronts and other Americana as well as the statues of the country music legends near the door. It's cool, and our city needs something like this.
The steaks are still super, though I noticed that the incredible chicken fried steak (the best I've ever had) is up to $19.99 now. I selected instead the Red River ribeye ($30.99), while my companion chose one of the new menu items, the cedar-plank salmon ($20.99).
The menu told me the filet mignon was topped with garlic butter, but my ribeye tasted like it was, too, and I spotted white bits of the minced bulb on top. The meat was tender, juicy, smoky, flavorful, prepared to order -- everything you want in a steak. My companion's Norwegian salmon came right on the thin slice of cedar wood with lemons between the fish and the wood. It had an exceptional golden brown color.
The food is definitely country. For example, the fresh green beans are prepared with bacon and almonds, giving them an overwhelming smokiness. While I prefer the cleaner, simpler preparation at Tahoe Joe's, I can see why this treatment would appeal to others. The fresh-mashed potatoes on my companion's plate were covered with a country gravy that lacked the charm of everything else on the plate. Just pasty. I've had better at many local coffee shops. My companion's salad was also weak, but the vegetable beef soup was a better choice (kidney beans, potatoes, carrots, green beans).
I'll be back to try one of the pizzas (barbecue chicken, pepperoni and cheese), a welcome addition since the last time I visited. Also sure to inspire a revisit is the filet mignon salad ($12.99) and the half-pound hamburgers.
Save room for a new dessert item, the New York-style cheesecake ($6.99), so brown on top it looks like it belongs in a magazine. There's a notable presence of nutmeg in the very dense, baked mixture that makes it particularly interesting. The apple crisp a la mode is still on the menu.
Service has the same friendliness and upbeat touch that you see on stage. This kind of down-home warmth never gets old.
Buck Owens' Crystal Palace can be recommended for a fine dining experience.
