Pete Tittl: It's independents' day for Bakersfield pizza, so let's celebrate
| Monday, May 11 2009 11:31 AM
Last Updated Monday, May 11 2009 11:31 AM
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Crossroads Pizzeria
4200 Stine Road
397-5000
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Buffet lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Prices: Appetizers $3.50-$8.99, chicken and wedges $6.99-$15.99, pasta $6.99-$7.99, salads $4.99-$6.99, calzone $8.49-$14.99, 14" pizzas $12.99-$17.99 specialty pizzas $18.99 (14"), desserts $1.50-$2.99. No child's menu.
Payment: MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Discover accepted. Does not accept personal checks or The Californian's Press Pass.
Dress: Casual.
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; beer and wine served; few vegetarian options.
Food: 3 1/2 stars
Atmosphere: 3 1/2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Value: 3 stars
Next week: Blue Elephant
Inside Guide
Got an opinion about Crossroads or any other restaurant in town? Share it at Bakersfield.com/insideguide
By PETE TITTL
Contributing columnist
e-mail: ptittl@bakersfield.com
When I moved to Bakersfield in 1980, the city was dominated by independent, locally owned pizza parlors. Names like Sam's Pizza Boat, Fat-T's Pizza and Pizzaville had locations all over town. This was before Little Caesar's or Dominos were on the scene, and Pizza Hut was a much smaller player.
It got so bad for the independents that when I unfavorably reviewed one, the others would write in to defend those brave souls who dared to offer something other than the typical corporate product.
The worm has turned. I believe we're currently in a pizza renaissance in Bakersfield. For a long time we had Pizza Bob's and Frugatti's holding out against the giants, but in recent years we have seen excellent parlors such as Cataldo's (now at two locations), Tony's (two in Kern County), L.A. Pizza Veloz in the northeast and Jimano's Pizzeria in Rosedale. (Jimano's is a Chicago-based chain, but it's locally owned).
The latest promising entrant is Crossroads Pizzeria on Stine Road, in the space that was for years home to Mountain Mike's Pizza, and more recently Dave's Dugout Pizza. The interior has been brightened, there is an adjacent game room for private parties, but what is most impressive about Crossroads, from the first taste, is the high quality of the product.
It's the small things. Lots of pizza places brush the outer crust with oil. In fact one national chain that does it lathers it with a repulsive tasting oil that adds calories without much of a flavor benefit. Yuck. One of the first things I noticed when our two 14-inch pizzas were brought to the table (meatball, $14.24, pepperoni, artichoke heart and black olive, $16.74) is the fragrant aroma of garlic. Not too much, but enough to notice it was there. The edge of the crust had been lightly brushed with what tasted like olive oil and garlic. It was brown but dry and not wet. Perfect.
There's more. The ingredients, especially the homemade meatballs, were a plus. The tomato sauce had a nice homemade taste, and the crust was brown and crunchy on the bottom but softer near the top. The cheese had the fullness of the half whole milk/half skim milk blend that so many pizza parlors use now.
My biggest complaint was with the pepperoni on the other pizza. It was so greasy that it had tinted the cheese an unappetizing orange color. I had never seen this before, though I have seen plenty of pepperoni pizzas where the orange grease floats on top and can be sopped up.
We had to go back to try some of the specialty pizzas: the veggie ($18.99 for 14 inches), and the meat lovers ($18.99). There's also a shrimp/onions/mushroom pizza with garlic white sauce that looks tempting. The veggie was one of the best we've had, with mushrooms, olives, bell pepper, garlic, onions and tomatoes. A nice, nice mix. The meat lovers had everything: sausage, meatball, salami, Canadian bacon and pepperoni.
Check this place out and enjoy our pizza renaissance while it lasts.
