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PETE TITTL: Victor Victoria's raises the bar

DINING: Space unrecognizable from when it was bar

BY PETE TITTL, Contributing columniste-mail:
ptittl@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Nov 11 2009 06:18 PM

Last Updated Wednesday, Nov 11 2009 06:18 PM

I had to take a few deep breaths before I wrote this review, so impressive was my first visit to Victor Victoria's, an elegant new downtown restaurant.

Located in the space that once housed Kosmos and Goose Loonies before that, this restaurant is the complete package: great white tablecloth ambiance, professional staff, excellent chef, who is a real artist. Even the portions have been adjusted from typical fine dining modesty to Bakersfield/Texas-sized expectations. Though open only for lunch when I first visited, it is now rolling out dinner service in a gracious, artsy space that would not be out of place in Europe. I think it has a chance to take its place among the all-time greats of Bakersfield fine dining, such as Lemucchi's Tam O'Shanter, Patrick's and The Blue Note.

I realize that such early praise can curse a restaurant, but our first visit was that impressive. It opened in late October, around the time that Hooters opened on Rosedale Highway (insert joke of your choice here) and I was quickly getting e-mails telling me how impressive the restaurant was. So we visited on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed both the New Zealand rack of lamb ($22) and the Southern fried catfish ($13).

I was the one who ordered the catfish, and while that might seem like a pedestrian choice given the menu's other specialties (which include gourmet hamburgers mixed with condiments before cooking), I was intrigued by the chance to get fresh breaded filets with Cajun spices mixed into the cornmeal. It, like everything else we sampled, was impressive. Two massive catfish filets, crisp and sharp and not too spicy, with steak fries that had the sweetness and softness of fresh cut potatoes. I substituted the zucchini-squash-basil vegetable choice for my cole slaw, and like most new restaurants, they were happy to accommodate me. The meal included a beef vegetable soup made from New York steak and an intriguing mix of vegetables that included corn, celery, carrots, red peppers and wild rice. It was more stew than soup, and could make a meal in itself.

My companion's rack of lamb was a crazy value at that price. I have been to restaurants and paid in the $30 range for four ribs. The rack here, encrusted with mustard, garlic, rosemary and bread crumbs, included eight ribs, not actually cut, and a big knife. Though ordered medium, the rack was presented at the table medium rare. Forgivable, given the quality, and with the wild rice and some of the most incredible grilled asparagus stalks (the smokiness just leaps off the vegetable), it was a repast that made you not want to consume food for 24 hours, so certain is your belief that other foods would disappoint your palate.

There are more reasons to rave. The space will be unrecognizable to anyone who visited when it was a sports bar. There is a marbleized wall treatment, many works from local artists on display for sale, a small stage made from a gorgeous wood floor near the windows and an overall atmosphere that can't help but continue to boost downtown's image. If you wanted to take someone out for a business lunch, this would be on a level of Uricchio's and T.L. Maxwell's, or even The Bistro.

And let's talk about our waiter, Mike. Mike knows food. Mike is a gracious presence and his recommendations were on the mark. It is always refreshing to me when the staff at a restaurant has as much passion for great food as the people in the back of the house. He does. If you dine there, ask for him and you'll be in good hands. For example, he tipped us off to a great choice on the dessert tray (all made on premises, of course), the almond amaretto tiramisu ($7), made with amaretto licqeuer instead of espresso.

I will be back at a future date after Victor Victoria's has been offering dinner service, but I seriously doubt it will be a lesser experience. Usually restaurants work out the kinks after they open, but Victor Victoria's is operating on all cylinders from the start. With the promise of the new restaurants in the Padre Hotel, we may be looking at a downtown restaurant dining scene that could reach new heights.

Victor Victoria's can be recommended for a fine dining experience.