Nina Ha racing at the new Track House in Bakersfield. 

Better Bowls

Simple, fresh ingredients often make the best dishes. The pad thai served at Chef’s Choice Noodle Bar is the recipe of head chef Preeda Piamfa’s mother. This recipe is more than 75 years old. When his mother was a teen, she opened a store in Thailand that only served this dish – that’s how g…

Muertos Kitchen & Lounge 

The straw bale is a common fall decor item found on front porches and yards across Bakersfield. But they also have another use. They can be used as a gardening container.

Garage, low-fi and indie.

Don your finest suit or gown and join the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Nov. 10 for “Romantic Classics,” a night of music that will elevate any night on the town.

A cozy, makeshift haven is tucked away in a corner on the Bakersfield College campus. Near the not-so-up-to-date campus center lies an approximate 750-square foot lounge full of veteran students.

Before tax reform, employees could potentially write off work-related expenses that were not reimbursed by their employer. Those deductions have been chopped along with several other “miscellaneous itemized deductions” as Congress attempts to simplify your tax reporting. The main argument is…

They spend countless hours under the hot sun on pool decks and worn-down practice fields, in musty gyms, drafty arenas and sweaty locker rooms.

For many Americans, health is a priority. They’re conscious of the foods they eat, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water.

With cooler temperatures, now is the perfect time to take advantage of an often-overlooked characteristic of Bakersfield – it is a bike-friendly city!

Ever since I was a kid, if there was a racetrack at an amusement park, I’m either in line or already burning rubber.

The stench of oil permeates the air. The sounds of engines nearly deafen. Cars pass by at speeds that would cause whiplash.

Stylist: Laurie Brucker, style ambassador for the Outlets at Tejon

A light breeze passed through the lush greens of The Gardens at Monji, running water from a nearby water feature and singing birds creating a relaxing atmosphere as the sun slowly descended behind Andrew Lewis and Spencer Shoemaker as they exchanged vows.

San Antonio

November marks a transition month for local sports. The fall sports season wraps up during the month, while the winter sports season begins. Here are some of the noteworthy sports happenings.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Allies and the Central Powers declared an armistice. “The Great War” was over.

Walking down 18th Street, there is tangible excitement growing around this once-neglected swath of downtown. New energy melds with downtown institutions, all framed by an unrelenting street grid.

The needs of veterans and their families are vast and complex. Government departments such as Defense and Veterans Affairs, while providing a tremendous amount of support to veterans and their families, have been challenged in recent years by the enormous increasing needs of this sector. Mor…

Most men approaching their mid-60s are eyeing retirement off in the distance. Slowing down. Scaling back.

In today’s world, a father’s role isn’t as clearly defined as it once was.

Get ready for more fun and entertainment as the Bakersfield Young Professionals hosts its fourth annual Downtown Street Party on Oct. 12.

Promoting health and using a play on words to further its agenda is the Cycling Lab Rats, a group of clinical laboratory scientist at Memorial Hospital who have taken up cycling as a group. At its core is co- founder Jessica Liebenow, who started the group with a friend.

Born in Vietnam and raised as an orphan by an American family in New York, local artist Aliza McCracken started painting at 4 years old and developed into a professional artist at 15. Her art carries themes of love, life and hope, blending her passion for drawing and painting with creative w…

Lake Ming will be illuminated by thousands of lanterns with messages of hope, love and loss on Saturday, Oct. 6. Light the Water Lantern Festival will provide each lantern with a purchase of a ticket. Lanterns will be released onto Lake Ming near dusk.

A mission to change the narrative of Bakersfield is gaining momentum.

Photos by Mark Nessia

My name is Gabriela Vasquez.

She had noticed a lump in her breast, but was busy with life – being a mother, having a career, taking care of the house. Her health had to wait. She couldn’t burden anyone else by sharing her concerns and have them worry about her.

Credit companies are bending over backward to get your business. Several no-annual-fee credit cards offer valuable benefits that are often overlooked. Here are nine common credit card benefits you may already have and can tap into.

With plates of braided tea cookies (koulourakia) that glisten like bagels but crumble like a shortbread cookie, celebration cookies (kourabiedes) that are small domes covered in powdered sugar and chocolate-dipped cookie sandwiches only made during the holidays, local baker Mary Mekhel is th…

Women have made charitable planned gifts in America since the 1600s.

When the examining the factors relating to Elise Ferreira’s development into an elite high school volleyball player, the age-old nature versus nurture debate comes to mind.

You wouldn’t imagine that some of the best mac and cheese in Bakersfield is found inside a gas station market, but it is. Don’t take our word for it, though.

Almost 75 percent of Kern County adults are either overweight or obese. Obesity is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Dietary improvements can lead to significant improvement in both obesity and chronic diseases. Added sugars in our diets can l…

1. NEW COACH – Jay Woodcroft takes over behind the bench for the Condors following a 13-year tenure in the NHL with three teams. He won a Stanley Cup in 2008 as part of the Detroit Red Wings coaching staff. He is 13th all-time in NHL penalty minutes!

Ever since Andrew Lewis proposed to Spencer Shoemaker, his girlfriend of seven years, on the beaches of Cayucos on Dec. 9, 2017, much of their time outside of work and school has been dedicated toward planning their wedding at The Gardens at Monji on Oct. 14.

It is hard not to notice the spike in homelessness locally, despite years of declining numbers.

Since 1998, the Bakersfield Museum of Art’s Via Arte Italian Street Painting Festival has become a highly anticipated event each October. This year, Via Arte returns to The Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 20 and 21.

Beauty can be alluring, enticing and, oftentimes, elusive. Yet most of us strive for society’s definition of beauty nevertheless. Who wouldn’t want to be considered attractive, desirable and beautiful?

As a physical therapist, one might think that I see athletes or treat shoulders and knee pains all day. In fact, this was my vision of physical therapy about four years ago before I began practicing.

There is nothing the women of Kern County cannot do.

Compiled by Bakersfield Life