Bakersfield – Basque City

Posted on September 12, 2014 by The Jab

Let’s stick with the American Basque restaurant theme after last week’s post on the Overland Hotel in Gardnerville, NV.

Bakersfield, California, is without a doubt the Basque capital of the west, if measured by the number of Basque bars and restaurants. There are three historic Basque hotels with bars and eateries in the old part of east Bakersfield by the railroad tracks (that was originally the town of Sumner, then Kern City, before becoming part of Bakersfield), plus a few Basque restaurants of more recent vintage in other parts of town.

photo by The Jab, 2011

The Pyrenees Cafe opened in 1887 as a hotel, saloon, and bakery. The hotel, which reportedly once housed a brothel, is now apartments, the bakery is still open under separate ownership, while the saloon remains pretty much the same, with the original bar and stools. It is the oldest operating bar in Kern County and it’s claimed to be haunted. If you only have time for one Basque meal in Bakersfield don’t miss the Pyrenees bar for a before dinner Picon Punch.

photo by The Jab, 2011

Noriega’s was opened by Faustino Noriega and Fernando Etcheverry in 1893 as a boardinghouse. It remains a boardinghouse to this day, making it the only remaining original Basque hotel still operating in the U.S.

The Noriegas – photo by The Jab, 2011

In 1931, French Basques Juan and Gracianna Elizalde purchased Noriega’s, adding a bar and restaurant in 1940, which have not changed a bit since then (except for a small TV in the bar).

The Elizaldes – photo by The Jab, 2011

Today Noriega’s is still owned by the same family. It’s run by the Elizaldes granddaughters, Rochelle Ladd and Linda McCoy, who received the James Beard American Classic award for Noriega’s in 2011.

Noreiga’s bar – photo by WineGoddess6 on TripAdvisor.com

Noriega’s dining room – photo by The Jab, 2011

As in most classic American Basque restaurants the food is served family style on long tables. Noriega’s menu includes breakfast, lunch (single seating at 12pm), and dinner (at 7pm), all very hearty meals, with dinner being the largest. The dinner “set-up” (Basque term for the various non-main courses) is generous, including homemade soup, fresh local salad with vinaigrette dressing, their famous pickled tongue, cottage cheese with mayo, pasta or rice, hand cut french fries (usually served with the main course), vegetable, beans, salsa, bread from the Pyrenees bakery nearby, excellent homemade blue cheese, dessert, and ice cream. When I dined there we also received potato salad. House wine, served in unmarked bottles, is included, as well as coffee, tea, or milk. And all that comes with TWO entrees, which vary by the day. Clearly a bargain. The Noriega is famous for their tender oxtail stew, served on Saturdays.

Noriega’s set-up – photo by The Jab, 2011

Wool Growers restaurant – photo by David H. on Tripadvisor.com

Wool Growers Restaurant was opened in 1954 by J.B. and Mayie Maitia, French Basques, to fill a need in the community for an eatery during the hours when Noriega’s wasn’t serving. It is still owned by Mayie, along with her daughter, Jenny, and granddaughter, Christiane, and this year Mayie and her family are celebrating Wool Growers’ 60 years in business!

Wool Growers bar – photo by The Jab, 2011

The restaurant has tables and booths for four and two, so it’s a good choice if you’re dining alone or prefer more privacy than communal dining provides. The dinner menu has several choices of hearty entrees, unlike many Basque restaurants which have a few entrees that change daily, and includes some French dishes like French Onion soup and escargots. At lunchtime they offer burgers and sandwiches in addition to a large selection of hearty meals. Saveur magazine wrote about the restaurant, praising their oxtail stew.

Wool Growers dining room – photo by Darryl Musick on wheelstraveler.blogspot.com

Although all three restaurants are worth visiting, If I had limited time I would try to eat at Noriega’s and have a Picon Punch in the bars at Pyrenees and Wool Growers. But why not make a weekend of it and eat at all three?

Pyrenees Cafe
601 Sumner St, Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 323-0053
Open Mon 10:00am-6:00pm, Tue-Th 10:00am-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 10:00am-12:00am, closed Sunday

Noriega’s
525 Sumner St, Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 322-8419
Open for breakfast Tue-Sun 9:00am-11:00am, lunch Tue-Sun 12:00pm (single seating), dinner Tue-Sun 7:00pm (single seating), closed Monday

Wool Growers
620 E 19th St, Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 327-9584
Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:00pm, 6:00pm-9:30pm, closed Sunday

Happy National Hot Dog Day!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by The Jab

Since it’s National Hot Dog Day I thought I’d highlight a few of my favorite hot doggeries around the country. One of my favorite historic hot dog restaurants, and tops in the country for original vintage decor, George’s Coney Island in Worcester, Mass, was one of my first blog posts a few years back.

The hot dog was brought over to the U.S. from European immigrants, but its European origins are disputed. Sausage dates back to the 9th century BC (mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey), while the type of sausage used for hot dogs is similar to Weinerwurst or Vienna Sausage, which originated in Austria. However, the city of Frankfurt, Germany, claims it invented the frankfurter or “dachsund sausage” in 1497. Yet another claim is that a butcher in Coburg, Germany, invented the hot dog sausage in the 1600s and brought it to Frankfurt.

In any case the American hot dog on a roll is what we are concerned with here, which was reportedly already a German custom to eat sausage on a roll. It is a fact that hot dogs were first sold in New York City, either by a German immigrant from a cart in the Bowery in the 1860s or by Charles Feltman, a German butcher who opened the first Coney Island hot dog stand in 1871 (his employee, Nathan Handwerker, started Nathan’s in 1916). In 1893 hot dogs became popular at baseball parks and sold like hot cakes (or rather like hot dogs) at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago (sold by a pair of Jewish immigrants from Vienna who later founded Vienna Beef, Chicago’s most popular hot dog manufacturer). Also in 1893 the oldest mention of the term “hot dog” on record occurred in a Knoxville newspaper. (For more hot dog history visit the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council’s web site, where I sourced this info).

Superdawg, Chicago – photo by The Jab, 2003

Which city has the best hot dogs: New York or Chicago? People will argue this forever, but based on my experience Chicago wins hands down for best hot dogs in the country. Then there are the arguments within Chicago about who has the best hot dogs. We won’t go there because there are so many different types of hot dogs in Chicago (likewise, for pizza). There’s the classic Chicago dog “dragged through the garden” that is a steamed all-beef frankfurter on a poppy-seed roll with sliced tomato, raw chopped white onions, yellow mustard, bright green sweet relish, pickled sport peppers, celery salt, and a pickle spear (but never ketchup), reportedly invented at Fluky’s in 1929 (sadly, the only Fluky’s left is at a Wal-Mart in Niles, IL). Then there’s the char-grilled “char-dog”, which is terrific at Weiner’s Circle, where they only serve hot dogs cooked that way. And until it closes this October, the always busy Hot Doug’s serves dozens of hot dog specialties.

photo by The Jab, 2003

My favorite hot dog stand in Chicago is Superdawg. My Chicago friends may not agree, and I admit the hot dogs at Weiner Circle and Gene and Jude’s are great also (Wolfy’s is another one that comes out on top in polls), but I love the all-original drive up with car hops that is SUPERDAWG! Opened in 1948 by Maurie and Flaurie Berman, who have been represented on the roof of the restaurant as caveman and girl “dogs” since the beginning, it hasn’t changed much and, amazingly, it is still owned by the Berman’s, who run it with their children. They still have the same ordering system as in 1948: you drive in to the parking lot, order from your car into a mic/speaker, and your meal is brought to you on a tray in a very cute vintage looking box, which you will want to take home as a souvenir (mine still sits in my kitchen). This is one of the last restaurants in America that still has car hop service.

Superdawg with fries – photo by The Jab, 2007

In addition to the Superdawg™, which is a spicy dog that comes fully dressed and includes a pickled green tomato wedge, they also offer a Whoopskidawg®, which is a Polish-type sausage on a roll with special sauce, grilled onions, and pickle, and several other sandwiches. Their crinkle-cut super fries are excellent.

photo by The Jab, 2003

In New York City your best sources for hot dogs are the many hot dog carts around the city and the bargain Papaya-drink-and-two-hot-dogs stands which started in 1932 when Papaya King opened on the upper East Side of Manhattan (still on the same street corner of 86th St and 3rd Ave, and in several other locations in NYC). Although it originally only sold fruit drinks it started serving hot dogs because the neighborhood was predominantly German-American at the time. In the 1970s and 1980s Gray’s Papaya and Papaya Dog copied the concept, but Gray’s is down to only one location. Which is the best? I’ll let you be the judge as I’ve only been to the original Papaya King.

photo by The Jab, 2005

If you’re in Georgia, the town of Macon is worth a detour for Nu-Way Weiners, open since 1916 (their sign was misspelled in 1937 and they kept it that way to this day) and still in the same location (plus several other locations). Their specialty is chili dogs, which are made with their special homemade chili sauce (no beans, just the way I like a chili dog).

photo by Carrie Swing on Flickr

My favorite hot dog stand in greater Los Angeles closed and was demolished in 2011. Papoo’s Hot Dog Show (yes, it was more than just a stand, it was a SHOW!) opened in 1949 in Burbank, across the street from Bob’s Big Boy designed by Wayne McAllister in the Googie style in the same year (and still open).

photo by Terry Guy on Flickr

You can see Papoo’s in the original version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

Inside Papoo’s – photo by Carrie Swing on Flickr

Lastly, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, I’ve been disappointed by most of the hot dogs I’ve had (they are usually lukewarm, not hot). My favorite was the old Kasper’s on Telegraph Ave at Shattuck Ave, which closed “for remodeling” way back in 2002 and never re-opened. Kasper’s was started by Kasper Koojoolian, from Armenia, in 1930 at the corner of Fruitvale Ave and MacArthur Blvd (old US 50). Partners invested and It expanded into other locations in the 1940s, but in 1955 Kasper’s brother Paul split off, continuing as Kasper’s, while the rest of the partners started a chain of hot dog restaurants called Casper’s. Today there is still a Kasper’s on MacArthur Blvd (not in the same location as the original), in addition to others in Castro Valley, Hayward, and Pleasanton.

Kasper’s, MacArthur Blvd., Oakland – photo by The Jab, 2013

Casper’s continues with 8 Bay Area locations, and most have the original 1960s modern look in bright oranges and browns. Since 1989 the company has made its own frankfurters under the Spar Sausage name. I like the hot dogs at both Kasper’s and Casper’s, but Casper’s has the edge for taste and for decor.

Casper’s, Telegraph Ave., Oakland – photo by The Jab, 2013

I leave you, dear readers, with this photo I took on the road in Georgia in 2005, and a video of an amazing neon sign at Taylor Brothers Hot Dogs in Visalia, CA (where I need to go!). Please check the linked web sites for location, addresses, and open hours of the above establishments.

photo by The Jab, 2005

San Francisco’s Historic Grills

Posted on July 19, 2014 by The Jab

Enough of the downer posts! We are primarily here to celebrate existing restaurants, not to mourn lost ones (or closing ones).

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post for my friends at Herb Lester and Associates, a small London company that makes wonderful, compact fold-out map guides of cities around the world. Every one is a work of art and the writing is superb. All of the maps are highly recommended, and they also sell some fine travel accessories. You can buy some of them locally (at Flight 001 stores) or them order direct (usually a less expensive option when buying multiple maps – they even sell bundled sets of maps on the web site). The post I wrote for them was about San Francisco’s three classic grills. What is a grill, anyway? I am pretty sure it is a restaurant where meat or fish is grilled over charcoal (sometimes also called char-broiling). But in this case, I picked these restaurants because they all are called grills, not necessarily because they all cook the food on a charcoal grill (many places, like all the Joe’s in the Bay Area, cook this way but are not called grills). Perhaps the grill became popular in San Francisco in the 1940s when the Lazzari Fuel Company of San Francisco started importing mesquite charcoal for cooking. Anyway, here’s the post (with some changes and more photos).

Tadich Grill

Tadich Grill promotes itself as San Francisco’s oldest continuously running restaurant, which is a stretch if you look at its convoluted history. Moving back in time, the present location dates back to 1967, when it relocated from 545 Clay Street because Wells Fargo Bank, owners of the building, decided to redevelop the site. John Tadich, an immigrant from Croatia, originally opened the Clay Street restaurant as Tadich Grill, the Original Cold Day Restaurant, in 1912. He sold it to the current owners, the Buich family, in 1929.

photo by The Jab, 2012

Before John Tadich (from Croatia) opened Tadich Grill (“the Original Cold Day Restaurant”) he owned a different restaurant that was named the Cold Day Restaurant, which he purchased in 1887. The previous owners of the Cold Day Restaurant Tadich bought (also from Croatia) opened a tent on a wharf in 1849 selling grilled fish, which they named Coffee Stand. The tent became a shack, moved to the New World produce market on Commercial and Leidesdorff Streets, was renamed New World Coffee Stand and later the New World Coffee Saloon, relocating twice, finally ending up at 221 Leidesdorff Street. In 1882 it was renamed Cold Day Restaurant, the one Tadich bought. It was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire, after which he briefly re-opened the Cold Day Restaurant in another location, then moved it to yet another location before selling it and opening the Clay Street location in 1912 (the first restaurant named Tadich Grill).

photo by The Jab, 2012

So, if Tadich Grill is indeed the same restaurant from 1849 after 3 ownership changes, 8 locations, and several name changes, it seems like an exaggeration to me, especially compared to the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the U.S., Boston’s Union Oyster House, which opened in 1826 as the Atwood and Bacon Oyster House, and is still in the same location. Or the second oldest, Antoine’s in New Orleans, which opened in 1840, moved one block in 1868 to its present location, and has been run by the same family since the beginning! However, Tadich Grill definitely dates back to 1912, the first year it opened by its present name, which is some real longevity for a restaurant.

Tadich Grill, 545 Clay St., 1957 – photo by San Francisco Public Library Historical Photograph Collection

For a restaurant built in the 1960s it looks much older. There is a long bar / counter at the front, classic 1920s style tile floors, tables with bent wood chairs in the middle and back of the restaurant, and semi-private wooden “compartments” (the best word to describe them) with tables along one side of the long space.

Tadich Grill interior – photo by sfcitizen.com

Tadich Grill’s specialty is fresh fish grilled over Mesquite charcoal, which the Buich family says was introduced at Tadich Grill in 1924. But they also serve excellent Louie salads, such as a Dungeness Crab Louie (when in season), a great seafood Cioppino (an Italian tomato-based seafood stew), a locally historic dish called Hangtown Fry (bacon and fried oyster frittata), Oysters Rockefeller, and many more specialties. The sourdough bread is always good, and the martinis and Manhattans are well made. They do not take reservations and it’s very popular so be prepared to wait if you arrive during lunch or dinner.

Tadich Grill
240 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-1849
Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-9:30pm, Sat 11:30am-9:30pm, closed Sunday

See inside Tadich Grill (pan and zoom like in Google Street View):

View Larger Map

Sam’s Grill

photo by Thomas Hawk on Flickr

Sam’s Grill opened in 1931 by Sam Zenovich (Zenovich also owned a successful oyster company, whose origins go back to 1867 under the previous owner) as Sam’s Seafood Grotto, on California Street. In 1936 Zenovich passed away and Frank Seput purchased the restaurant, renaming it Sam’s Grill and Seafood Restaurant, which moved to its present location in 1946.

Photo by Douglas Zimmerman on Zagat.com

The restaurant is a great time-travel experience back to the 1940s, from the curtained private dining compartments with buzzers to call the white-jacketed waiters to the menu of many classic seafood and meat dishes. You will see dishes on the menu you rarely see anymore, such as Celery Victor, Crab Newburg, Stewed Tomatoes, Salisbury Steak, sweetbreads prepared three ways, and Long Branch potatoes. If you eat veal, I recommend the veal Porterhouse with bacon, perhaps with shoestring potatoes. If you feel like seafood the sand dabs and sole are good choices when in season (just ask the waiter which fish are fresh that day). The sourdough bread is justly famous here.

Sam’s Grill
374 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 421-0594
Open Monday-Friday only, 11:00am-9:00pm

See inside Sam’s Grill:

View Larger Map

John’s Grill

photo by army.arch on Flickr

John’s Grill’s sign states that it opened in 1908, and a restaurant called John’s Grill was mentioned in Dashiell Hammett’s 1927 mystery novel The Maltese Falcon, set in San Francisco. But facts are hard to find (online anyway). The restaurant certainly looks old, though it has been remodeled more than Sam’s. In any case, it is a treat to visit, as it does have a lot of history, and it’s crammed with old photos and mementos, including a reproduction of the Maltese Falcon used in the film. The steaks are what to order here, which are aged Prime (USDA certification) or Black Angus (depending on the cut, I guess).

photo by John’s Grill on Google.com

John’s Grill
63 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 986-3274
Open Mon-Sat 11am-10pm, Sunday noon-10pm

The Sunset’s Villa Romana Closing After Almost 60 Years – The Shutter – Eater SF

Link

The Sunset’s Villa Romana Closing After Almost 60 Years – The Shutter – Eater SF.

Yet another local closure of a historic restaurant thanks to a booming local economy (there are lots of investors to buy restaurants and there are very few vacant spaces for new restaurants). Its last day open is this Sunday, July 20th.

Giannini’s Italian Dinners, Pine Grove, California

Posted on May 22, 2014 by The Jab

If you are planning on touring California’s Gold Country along historic highway 49 (an area with plenty of fascinating Gold Rush history as well as scenic beauty), you are encouraged to make a short side trip on highway 88 to the town of Pine Grove, near Jackson, for an Italian dinner at Giannini’s and perhaps after dinner some outstanding ice cream at Munnerlyn’s Ice Creamery down the street (highway 88 is also a good seasonal alternate route to Lake Tahoe and the eastern Sierra that passes by some pretty lakes near Carson Pass).

photo by The Jab, 2014

Giannini’s history goes way back to 1933, when Al Giannini, Sr., and his wife Rosalie opened Giannini’s Restaurant in the Bay Area. It soon relocated to San Pablo Avenue (then U.S. highway 40) at San Pablo Dam Road in the city of San Pablo and was renamed the Lighthouse Inn because there was an actual working lighthouse as part of the building! It became a popular dinner & dancing nightspot in its heyday of the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1960s times had changed and the Lighthouse Inn featured a topless dancer, Kelly Iser. But the city didn’t like that so they arrested her and the owner, Al. Attorney Ken Parson of Richmond fought the indecent exposure charge on First Amendment grounds all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won, setting a legal precedent for adult entertainment in the country. In 1972 the building was razed for a shopping center.

Al Giannini – photo by The Jab, 2014

That same year Al Giannini, Jr., and his wife Pat opened Giannini’s Italian Dinners in a historic building in Napa, which was built as the Brooklyn Hotel in the 19th century as a boarding house for Italian mine workers and lumberjacks. A previous owner, Dave Cavagnero, was known as the Mayor of East Napa (the Italian-American community in Napa). He ran a popular tavern in the hotel called Dave’s Place, even brewing his own beer during Prohibition. The tavern had a Philippine mahogany back bar, which dated back to the hotel’s opening, that is now in the bar at Giannini’s in Pine Grove. I can’t find any information online giving the year that Giannini’s in Napa closed (if you know please comment on this post).

You should check out the old photos of the previous Giannini's restaurants near the cashier's stand. photo by The Jab, 2014

Be sure to check out the old photos and clippings of the previous Giannini’s restaurants near the cashier’s stand. photo by The Jab, 2014

In 1977 Al and Pat opened Giannini’s Italian Dinners in Pine Grove, in a building that was previously the El Pino Club (Al knew the area from visiting the Giannini ranch near Jackson). The site was an inn on the stage route called the Pine Grove House since 1856 (destroyed by fire and rebuilt a few times in the 19th century). The present building was constructed of 100,000 bricks fired on site by owner Richard Webb and opened in 1901 as the Pine Grove Hotel.

You can see part of the original brick building on the second floor of Giannini's. image by California Bricks web site.

You can see part of the original 1901 brick building on the second floor of Giannini’s. image by California Bricks web site.

Giannini’s is still family owned and operated. Al Gianini was a master chef who trained in Rome and he brought many dishes that are featured on the menu, including the popular steak Romano and roast chicken Romano, as well as Italian favorites like eggplant parmigiana, cannelloni, chicken cacciatori, veal piccata, sautéed sweetbreads, and many pasta dishes. Al acted as maitre’d and oversaw the kitchen until he passed away in 1997. Pat Giannini and her daughter Lisa and her family run the restaurant today. Dinners come either deluxe, with Giannini’s famous polenta board, homemade soup, salad, pasta, and bread; or light, with everything but the polenta and pasta.

Giannini's salad - photo by The Jab, 2014

Giannini’s crisp salad comes with a giardiniera – photo by The Jab, 2014

The restaurant consists of the original dining room with walls that have a log cabin look and deep red banquettes (see photo), the bar / lounge with black tufted banquettes, and a second larger dining room with knotty pine walls and ceiling fans . In the front of the restaurant near the hostess/cashier stand is a wall of framed photos of the Giannini family, some of their guests, and their restaurants, and a large display case of miniature liquor bottles collected by Rosalie Giannini.

front dining room – photo by The Jab

Giannini’s Italian Dinners
19845 California 88, Pine Grove, CA 95665
(209) 296-7222
Open Thu-Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm

Le Continental

dining and drinking with The Jab

Category Archives: California

Bakersfield – Basque City

Happy National Hot Dog Day!

San Francisco’s Historic Grills

The Sunset’s Villa Romana Closing After Almost 60 Years – The Shutter – Eater SF

Link

Giannini’s Italian Dinners, Pine Grove, California

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