Want to dine al fresco? Restaurant critic Pete Tittl has the inside scoop on the best spots
| Thursday, Apr 10 2008 07:34 PM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 08:37 PM
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The lunch crowd enjoys the patio shade at the Village Grill in Westchester.
Henry Echeverria and Lily Raytis, both 3, play on the Village Grill patio area during lunchtime.
McGee's at the Ice House has an outdoor patio with a large, stylish grill by Randy Urner's Outdoors. From left, chef Stevie Davis fires up some skewered appetizers as owner Robin McGee and Sean Nagel and Jeff Sellers watch.
Max Estrada, left rear, Abel Corona, wearing hat, Jose Hurtado, right rear, eating lunch with friends and family at Cazuelas Mary Mexican Cuisine.
Abel Corona of Bakersfield gets ready to enjoy a grilled lunch with friends and familhy visiting from Mexico at Cazuelas Mary Mexican Cuisine on Oak Street. The water fountain in the foreground is part of the ambience on the patio.
Frugatti's goes for a New Orleans vibe, writes Pete Tittl.
Jeremy Brehmer, right, and his father, Chuck Brehmer, enjoy their Frugatti's lunch on the outdoor patio. Though its right off the restaurant's parking lot, it's dressed up with flowers, colorful table linens, hanging lights and heaters for cooler evenings.
Central Automation employees, from left, Ed Enderson, Renzo Navarrete, Byron Deroos, and Hanamat Sulikeri enjoy their lunch break on the patio outside Starbucks, Baja Fresh, and Jamba Juice at The Marketplace.
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Folks do like to grumble about the Bakersfield summer heat, but one thing they don’t mention is how pleasant it is to dine al fresco after the sun has gone down. And now that the winter fog is gone, the trees are blooming and fresh growth is visible in all the gardens, we’re just entering the high season for fine dining outdoors, otherwise known as spring.
If anything, that is the sweetest time of the year to enjoy a meal without a roof over your heads. The rains are mostly gone, the air is sometimes so clean you can still see the mountains, and the temperature is nearly perfect.
It used to be that some would complain Bakersfield didn’t have enough al fresco dining restaurants spots, but in recent years it seems most restaurants have tried to add a patio or some outdoor seating to appeal to people like my companion, who is the al fresco dining queen. Absent bone-chilling cold or cement-baking heat, she likes her repast outside.
One drawback to al fresco dining: Since smoking has been banned in bars and restaurants, you’re likely to encounter smoke outdoors. During a recent Tahoe Joe’s visit, a whole table lit up post-dinner cigars. Be ready for that.
We have categories of my favorites. Feel free to e-mail me with your favorites that you feel I’m overlooking.
THE MARKETPLACE
This shopping center gets a category all by itself. Try visiting on a weekend. This is our version of Boston’s famous Faneuil Hall. (Stop laughing — I can hear you through the newspaper!). By that I mean all ages are intermingling late at night and usually looking for a place to eat. All we need now is street entertainers other than skateboarders. Interestingly, the restaurants here have been all over the al fresco dining experience.
Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse, 664-7750
They have heaters out on their covered patio, which also faces The Marketplace parking lot. On some chilly outings, desperate for a table, we’ve been seated out there and it has worked out. There are ceiling fans when things turn toasty and great $1.99 happy hour appetizer specials available only in the bar and patio area. One drawback: Reservations are not accepted. You seat yourself, and frequently there are no tables available. It’s popular.
Que Pasa at the Marketplace, 664-1400
There are very few tables here and it’s covered, so you won’t get that “let’s look at the stars” ambience, but it is prime territory for people-watching given its primo location right near the Edwards movie theater and the fountain, which provides a pleasant aural experience.
Baja Fresh/Starbucks/Quizno’s/Jamba Juice food court
The view is basically parking lot/Applebee’s/Vons, but it is a prime people- watching place, especially on the weekends. It seems to be an always- busy location and, like the food court at the mall, all members of your party have different dining options.
Mama Tosca’s Ristorante Italiano, 831-1242
This is probably the most elegant of The Marketplace’s al fresco spots, secluded from the noise and traffic of the rest of the shopping center, with a covered patio and only foot traffic nearby as well as a nice fountain. More expensive than the other options, but definitely a step up in class.
RIGHT OFF THE PARKING LOT, BUT NICE ANYWAY
Outback Steakhouse, 5051 Stockdale Highway, 834-7850
We’ve only dined outdoors here when the wait for a table inside was way too long, but it’s not bad, especially if you want something quieter than the boisterous dining room inside. Has heaters but no misters, and a total of nine tables.
Maitia’s Basque Café, 4420 Coffee Road, 587-9055
This northwest restaurant has a patio off the bar area where you can order appetizers, but if you order off the regular Basque menu, you get the entrée with fries and vegetable but not the full-blown Basque meal.
Café Med, 4809 Stockdale Highway, 834-4433
Yes, it’s pretty much a spot near the parking lot but I give the owners an A for effort at trying to transform it into something special with a fountain, trellises and foliage. We had a pleasant Mother’s Day brunch outdoors here one year and, on spring days, it can be hard to get one of those seats.
Plumberry’s, 13001 Stockdale Highway, 589-8889
Not a lot of seating outdoors, but it’s a quiet shopping center, other than the traffic at the nearby Sonic, so you won’t feel like you’re inhaling exhaust all the time. Nice family pizza option. Four tables by a fountain, no heaters or misters.
Chuy’s (Rosedale) 8660 Rosedale Highway, 587-5750
This has one of the largest outdoor dining areas, to go with a large indoor dining room, and has seating facing Rosedale Highway or quieter spots running north-south with the parking lot. Good place for a quick tri-tip sandwich.
Wood’ys, 5555 Truxtun Ave., 324-7400
Nice family spot, though the traffic on Truxtun can be thick. Not a bad option for Sunday brunch.
Frugatti’s Italian Eatery, 600 Coffee Road, 836-2000
Another restaurant with a fountain outside near the dining area, though there are not a lot of seats. Tries for a New Orleans courtyard feel.
Sequoia Sandwich Shoppe (Rosedale), 9160 Rosedale Highway, 587-1600
Great lunch spot, and the shaded tables are inviting most months of the year.
Sorella Ristorante Italiano, 7800 McNair Lane, 396-8603
This southwest restaurant has a patio with five tables, and it used to have heaters until, an employee told me, they were stolen. No misters.
CENTRAL/EAST SIDE
Cazuelas Mary, 250 Oak St., 637-2000
This Oak Street restaurant that I praised for adding variety to the local Mexican restaurant scene has added a lot of outdoor seating, and when we visited in chilly weather, they had those tall heaters effectively keeping us warm. Traffic noise from Oak Street was not too bad at all.
Jake’s Original Tex-Mex Café, 1710 Oak St., 322-6380
Oddly, it is right off busy Oak Street, but the wall that isolates you from the traffic seems to distract me enough to think I’m not near a noisy road. On crowded days at lunch, it’s easier to get a seat out there. There are heaters for the cold days.
Uricchio’s Trattoria, 1400 17th St., 326-8870
Yes, it faces the street, but it’s lightly traveled and usually has the cars of customers parked there. Has heaters and, because the street is so quiet, it has more of a European feel to it.
McGee’s at the Icehouse, 3401 Chester Ave., 323-8730
Instead of cars you can get an occasional train intruding on your serenity, but this is a nice al fresco spot: six tables on a raised wooden platform, pleasantly noisy fountain nearby, some foliage to make it seem like Italy. An employee told me they’ll be remodeling it soon.
Village Grill, 2809 F St., 325-1219
Good breakfast option, as they have a bunch of tables that face into a quiet parking lot that faces a quiet Westchester neighborhood. The greenery and spaciousness of the patio are a nice touch.
Luigi’s Restaurant & Delicatessen, 725 E. 19th St., 322-0926
I have never actually been on the patio there, but it has eight tables, lots of trees and creeping fig for summer and heat lamps and misters. Lunch only, Tuesday through Saturday.
Mama Roomba, 1814 Eye St., 322-6262If you want to soak up the downtown ambience, this is the place, located strategically near Guthrie’s Alley Cat. Though it faces a street, traffic was pretty light when we dined there.
WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU’RE BROKE
Valley Plaza Food court
Many restaurants with Mexican, Italian, Chinese and cheesesteaks to name a few, but I did appreciate the effort to cool it down during summer with misters. It’s also not as noisy as the inside, but, again, you’ve basically got a view of the parking lot.
Chipotle, 4950 Stockdale Highway, 335-0400
It’s easy to overlook this strip of a few tables that faces the parking lot with Borders, but at this time of year it’s pretty tempting. With burritos around $6, how can you miss?
