Smith’s Bakery offering Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

Smith’s Bakery founded in 1945 has been one of the most popular known bakeries in Bakersfield and is still going strong to this day. They have a variety of locations and are great for parties, special occasions, or just to satisfy that sweet tooth craving! Their delicious assortments will allow everyone to leave happy and full.

 

To Beat this Bakersfield Heat, Dive into a Local Pool to keep you Cool!

Although there are many residents who know how blistering hot summers in Bakersfield get, there are still so many who have no access to a pool! But not to worry all you local residents out there who have no access to your own pool, there are plenty of community pools in town, which are offered in several different locations, to keep you feeling refreshed this summer.

Come cool off this summer for free Bakersfield! (Photo Credit: http://www.turnto23.com)

 

• The first pool is the Jefferson pool which is located on Beal and Bernard.  This newly refurbished pool now offers a separate area for smaller children, or those who have limited abilities in the water, to a state of the art filtering system, this pool is a great place to wade away those summer afternoons. The spray park offers a great variety of fun during the hot months of the summer and is open from when the weather starts to warm up around May, to the end of the hot weather, usually mid- October. This pool is free for all to use.
• The second pool is the MLK pool which is located on E. California & South Owens. This pool offers swimming lessons before recreational swimming and are well worth the investment for your children! These lessons allow the children and even adults to learn to be comfortable in water while building strength and skills to give them the confidence they need to save their life if they are ever presented with a tough situation in a body of water. This pool has the same hours as the Jefferson pool and they welcome all local residents to come cool off!
• McMurtrey Aquatic Center located on Q & 13th street, features an 8,551 square foot recreation pool and a 50-meter competition pool. This community pool center even offers a double water slide and specially designed interactive wet play equipment! Although there is a fee to enter this pool, it is well worth the money spent to have a great day splashing around in the sun!
• Silver Creek Pool, located on Harris & Reliance features a 25 yard pool with a small wading pool. This pool also offers swimming lessons and is available for rental in the summer on the weekend evenings! What a great place to host a child’s birthday party or a family BBQ, with no outsiders permitted while the pool has been rented out especially for you!

A Bakersfield Community Pool Center. (Photo Credit: voices.yahoo.com)

For rules and guidelines for community pools in Bakersfield, visit the link above and make sure to check out a pool in your area! Bakersfield heat isn’t intolerable when a clean, clear swimming pool is only a couple blocks away!

Local Pilot gives Inside Scoop on Local Airport

A Bakersfield, local pilot, Michael Stewart shares a typical day out at the Airport. He also shares special events and fun things to do on the weeks many of us local residents were unaware of! The Rocket Shop Cafe is located on the airport grounds and open to the public everyday of the week!

Mother’s Day Brunch at Cafe Med is better than Breakfast in Bed!

The Mother’s Day Sunday brunch flyer for Cafe Med!
(Photo Credit: Cafemedrestaurant.com)

With Mother’s Day only three days away, time is of the essence to plan something nice for your mother. Cafe Med, located on 4809 Stockdale Hwy, is known for it’s classy yet lively, romantic, Mediterranean atmosphere, and this year they are hosting a very special Sunday brunch/buffet for all the Mother’s and their families in Bakersfield. Space is limited and they are urging you to call ahead to get your reservation for your family!

Their Mother’s Day menu offers a champagne brunch which includes champagne and mimosas, an omelette station, carving station with prime rib, ham & rack of lamb, seafood bar and much more! Whether you are coming for the Mother’s Day special, or a nice dinner for a relaxing night out, Cafe Med is the place to be. Their menu includes a huge selection varying from their unique appetizers, (which includes my personal favorite: their pita bread and dip), shish kabob-soublaki-traditional Mediterranean  surf,  turf, sandwiches, from the deli, saute  pasta dishes,  from the oven, soups and salads, martini bar selection, and beer and wine list; you are sure you will leave full, satisfied and planning when your next night to eat out will be!

Come out every last Friday of the month for wine tasting, try one of their cooking classes, or plan your own event with Cafe Med!

Wine Tasting available at Cafe Med!
(Photo Credit: Cafemedrestaurant.com

Cafe Med’s own cooking class includes the chef teaching the eager new chefs in the making, how to cook Bechamel, Clam Chowder, Cream of Mushroom Crostini, Oysters Thermidor, Potatoes Gratin al la Florentine, Coquilles St. Jacques, Moussaka, and Fresh Berries with Sweet Mornay. The classes start at $50 per person and $15 for wine pairings. What a great Mother’s Day gift (hint, hint). They also offer a special kids camp for young children to get a jump start on their cooking 401!

If you are planning your own special event, Cafe Med offers their own personalized Banquet room and catering, gift baskets, sandwich platters, gourmet cheese and salami, chocolate dipped wine bottles (Another great gift: hint, hint) and more!

This has got to be one of, if not the top restaurants in Bakersfield. With all of their unique offerings and huge assortments, they cater to anyone and everyone. I will guarantee you the dining and entertainment experience here is worth the extra money and will hold a special place on your calendar for your next relaxing/romantic outing out!

Spice Up Your Night with a Sushi/Teppanyaki Delight!

Sure sushi/teppanyaki is a great cuisine, but where are the best restaurants to find it? When I search for a good restaurant I look first for quality and customer service. When I walk through the door of any restaurant, I first take a look at my surroundings and how well the restaurant is taken care of and what the vibe is like. After I am seated I pay attention to how attentive the server is and whether or not they do a good job to the best of their ability. Next, I judge the quality and presentation of the food. Cheap food tastes like cheap food. There is nothing better than the taste of authentic, quality food to get my taste bud engines revving. When you can find all three of these important factors in one restaurant, it sure does make it hard to stray away to any other place! Here is a list of the three top sushi/teppanyaki restaurants in Bakersfield that will be sure to have you coming back for more while leaving you full and satisfied!

• Tokyo Garden which in my opinion, is the top sushi restaurant in Bakersfield, and has all three of these qualities plus more. When you walk in, you are immediately greeted and seated or informed on how long the wait is. They have a huge dining area and sushi bar to sit at decorated with Japanese style art and a huge indoor coy pond located in the entrance. This restaurant is appealing when you first walk through the door and has an upbeat vibe. You are given the choice to sit at a teppanyaki table or at a regular table in the seating area. Teppanyaki is my favorite and is such a huge attribution of Tokyo Garden. This is where you are able to watch your chef make your food right in front of you on a sizzling hot stove and do fun tricks with fire and food. This is a family friendly atmosphere and it is great to use for birthday parties and other large family/ friend gatherings, or even for a fun date night. The food is outrageously good and appeals to almost anyone. You have a huge variety of options to choose from and they are even kid friendly. They offer a sushi bar to order sushi items and all of their food is of premium quality. They are a little more expensive, but the prices are affordable and worth every penny you spend. Their sister restaurant is Miyoshi Japanese Restaurant and is smaller, but still large in taste!
  

  An example of what teppanyaki looks like up close! What a fun way to spend your night out. (Photo credit: taisanchef.com)

• Akiras Japanese Restaurant is another restaurant that specializes in teppanyaki and sushi food. This restaurant comes in at a close second and is another favorite of mine.  The restaurant is more mildly decorated but offers more teppanyaki tables and less regular dining. The atmosphere is fun and inviting, and is a fun place to go on any night of the week! They also offer a full sushi bar and great customer service. This is a family friendly environment and provides you with great food and drinks, and they also have a big menu to choose from that is very similar to Tokyo Garden’s. Their prices are in the medium range and are definitely affordable.
• Enso’s Japanese Restaurant is unfortunately an amazing place to get amazing food, but their customer service lags big time. If they offered better service, this is the top place in town to get your sushi fix. They in contrast do not offer teppanyaki, but they have a large dining area and a really nice sushi bar to watch your chef make your food. Their special feature is their downstairs fully stocked bar/lounge where you can host private parties at a fee of $100. They have a more modern and upbeat vibe, but can sometimes leave you waiting for longer periods of time. They also offer a wide variety of food that differs from Tokyo and Akiras, and sets their restaurant apart. They are family and kid friendly and their prices range from medium to high depending on your dish; but the food is worth it. Their sister restaurant is Toro Sushi Bar and Grill.
  

  The Crunchy Sexy Roll found at Enso’s Japanese Bar. (Photo credit: facebook.com)

Finding Treasures in Bakersfield is Easier Than You Think

Have you ever wondered where your friend or neighbor got that really amazing piece of furniture or piece of clothing for that super great deal? Look no further other than right in your own town, Bakersfield. Located downtown are several locally owned antique boutiques that offer a huge variety of items that range in all different prices. My dad rents one of the many spaces that are available in Forget Me Not Antiques, located downtown on 19th street. Each booth is run by the store workers, but the booth is kept up by the renter/ owner of the items. Many people like my father, go yard selling every Saturday to find their treasures, and others accumulate theirs through deceased relatives or older relatives that have kept their precious items for years and years.

This picture shows some of the items that are for sale in downtown Bakersfield. (Photo Credit: http://forgetmenotantiqueboutique.weebly.com/)

These stores appeal to all ages whether you are looking for an old vintage piece of clothing or furniture, or hand made baby clothes. The possibilities are endless and there is an item for everyone. The best part about these antique store is that most of the owners of the booths are willing to bargain and negotiate their prices. This helps both you and the vendor settle on a fair price and both people can leave happy. Woolworths is another popular antique store that has been around for decades that even offers an old time burger joint located right inside the building. You can enjoy the 50’s atmosphere while listening to music of that era and watching your server make your burger and fries right in front of you while twirling in their poodle skirt! So on  your next weekend off when you are up for an adventure, take a stroll downtown and visit one of these antique stores, and I guarantee you won’t leave empty handed!