Rhett "Combat cold cut" G.'s Profile

Thanks to a nice bit of investigative journalism by the Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/...) a buddy and I managed to find our way to the "public" space on top of the Westfield mall.

I say "public" in quotes because they clearly don't want to make it easy. More of a bullet point on some planning document that a legitimate effort at providing some public service. But whatever, the secrecy was half the fun.

Not a bad place to eat your lunch. Especially on a sunny day. Pretty good views, and of course it was mostly empty. But be prepared for a security guard that isn't really that thrilled that someone took them up on the offer. You have to use a special elevator and everything.

Car washing is a pretty big industry in Bakersfield. Something about that dust filled air that you can see swirling around the valley creates quite the demand for bi-weekly car washing.

Being used to Shell/Chevron-class automatic car washes, this place really blew me away. My mom had an express card, that she just pre-pays for car washes and it's all configured with what options you want. Swipe and go.

The robotic arms, sprayers and brushes were fast and thorough. My car came out looking like it was hand washed. But of course I had to leave town within the hour for it to stay that way for long.

Great place to grab some food and beer. Checked it out with my parents for lunch on a monday, which was pretty slow, but it looks like it could be a pretty happening place on a Saturday night.

Fire department theme is pretty cool. Really great photos of bakersfield fire fighter history on the walls. Lots of other misc firefighter stuff hanging on the walls.

Theme aside, this looks to be a pretty good pool hall as well. I guess it's owned by the same guy as Corner Pocket (which, probably not coincidently, also has a barstool store next door...) I didn't get a chance to play here, but the tables look pretty nice, but since it's brand new so I suppose it should.

Food was pretty tasty. I had the "Commander's" chicken sandwich, which thankfully had tasty bbq sauce and bacon. Burgers looked pretty good too. Definitely recommend the fries.

Beer selection was pretty awesome. They've got Stone IPA on tap, which makes them a winner in my book.

I'll have to try this place again when I'm in town, potentially could earn another star if the atmosphere doesn't suck when there are people around.

I went here a few months ago, but I'm just now remembering to write my reviews because of a related experience at Cask in SF.

You see, sidebar specializes in classic cocktails, which, if you read my other reviews, holds a certain fascination for me. While sitting at the bar (not the "side bar", mind you, but the full deal) we had a nice chat with the bartender who, despite being pretty busy took the time to talk shop with us. They happen to have Gum Syrup, made with real Gum Arabic. This is a prime ingredient in quite a few classic cocktails, but you can't pick it up just anywhere. Thankfully, someone local is making it now, and Cask is where I finally found it. And so we've come full circle.

Anyway, all boozery aside, this is a really solid establishment. Good food, really good drinks. I enjoyed the atmosphere, definitely be back.

I was really excited to check this place out as it's right by the GF's new pad.  Great looking places, very well decorated. They have a little patio out back that would be perfect on a warm day. Booze related quotes etched in the wall were a very nice touch.

But I'll be honest, the drinks didn't quite stack up. We were there for happy hour, so I tried two drinks off the happy hour menu:

Mojito: Way too sweet. Mint wasn't muddled enough. I realize it's hard work, but if you don't like it, don't put it on the menu.
Manhattan: Had a strange orange/pink tinge to it. Did not taste like Maker's Mark to me. First time I wanted a manhattan to be over with really fast.

They do have good beers on tap, guess I'll stick to those next time.

Finding myself in the area, starving, R & G was suggested by my cohort Eric s. So, the 4 of us arrived, hungry as all hell, ready to feast on some chinese food.

I'll be honest, the food was really pretty damn tasty. We had the special beef, which was really really special. Got adventureous with the ox tail, and singapore curry noodles. Pretty impressed.

However, the service was pretty bad. I had the distinct impression our server, both times we saw him hated us. And so for that, i subtract a star.

It boggles the mind that the art of the cocktail waiting so long for a resurgence. Though 83-proof down the street makes delicious drinks, Rickhouse focuses on the classics. I started off-menu with a Manhattan on the rocks (my usual go-to cocktail) and it was pretty darn good. Then I tried a JJ Russell, which isn't technically classic, but should be.

To properly enjoy your visit, I recommend reading the book 'Imbibe!' prior to arriving. Also, by the time you finish the book perhaps the buzz will have dropped a little and this Rickhouse won't be so popular and thus much more pleasant.

It took us a *long* time to get our perfectly built drinks, but the place was pretty popular, and these drinks take time. Props to the bartenders though for making sure everyone knew they were seen and would get drinks eventually.

I'm really looking forward to coming back when it isn't so crowded and enjoying a big 'ol bowl of pisco punch. Also, the whisky selection is pretty ridiculous so it might be a pretty good place to sample your next bottle before picking it up at Cask down the street.

A friend got takeout from this place the other day.

When the box was opened I really wasn't impressed. I mean, it looks so simple, and small, and I thought to myself: "Great, one more overpriced gourmet pizza place"

However, open inserting said pizza into my mouth, the awesome that is Delfina has sold me. It doesn't look like much, but this shit is tasty.

Goddamn this is good coffee.

If you have any excuse to be in this area, do yourself a favor and load up on some caffeinated goodness.

Having your car worked on is never a fun event, so I have to give extra props to Oak Tree Mazda for keeping me coming back.

For the record, I live in SF, but purchased my car here 3 years ago. I went to my more local dealership (Royal Motors) and will never go back. I drive ALL THE WAY FROM SF just to come here.

My personal automotive repair motto has always been "If you don't feel like you're getting screwed, don't bother going anywhere else".  Special call out to Tim for always remembering me (or maybe my car).

Oh, and the waiting area has free wifi, videogames and a taco truck that comes every day at noon. Since nobody is here to buy a car it's actually quite peaceful and has served as really effective remote office. I'm considering making this a weekly event.