In a year in which booming Bakersfield finally took a breath (somewhat) and stopped growing like Las Vegas without the slot machines, the city’s restaurant scene evolved in old and new ways. The trend toward diversity in our dining continued, and some national chains discovered us. According to a news report last month, we apparently reached the specific population profile needed to support a Hooters.

Hey, there’s a civic accomplishment to be proud of.

Last year I did one of those long lists of recommended restaurants in all sorts of categories at the year’s end. This year we’ve got a scaled back version of what’s worth mentioning, but be assured we’ll be back in 2008 with one of those comprehensive recommended dining lists for you to agree or disagree with.

The invasion of the chains

I’ll have more to say about this subject in a future story, but it’s such a hot topic among Bakersfield restaurateurs that I have to discuss it here. In recent years, chains like P.F. Chang’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Elephant Bar, Chili’s, Chipotle, Tacone Flavor Grill, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse opened restaurants here. This year we saw a real slowing of the chain/franchise expansion, but we did get our first Great Wraps sandwiches, Great Harvest Bread Co., Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe, Wings to Go and Taco Del Mar. Opening soon are Red Brick Pizza, Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que and, possibly, Hooters.

Why does this matter to you? Local people who own and operate restaurants get frustrated when they see long lines outside of chain competitors that they feel are offering inferior products at higher prices. Chains have extensively studied everything from how the entrance should be designed to how you should be greeted at the door, how long you’ll wait, how they can “upsell” you to boost check averages, even (according to one local restaurant owner) how many feet away from the restaurant building the trash bin should be located.

A vital local restaurant industry is one indicator of quality of life in a city. One restaurant owner told me Nordstrom bases its store location decisions on how many fast food, pizza and Mexican restaurants it finds per capita in a city, as opposed to fine dining establishments. To some retailers, we apparently are what we eat. Restaurant chains also have large, multimedia advertising budgets that are typically out of the reach of the local guy just starting out. What these entrepreneurs want is a fair shake to capture business without losing their shirt.

In that spirit, I take a minute to honor the brave souls who opened new restaurants or purchased existing ones in Bakersfield this year, such as the owners of Replay Lounge & Grill, Benjamin’s Restaurant & Cocktails, Love Sushi, Capistrano’s Restaurant, Jo’s Big Bad BBQ, The Crest Bar and Grill, MGM Asian, Thai Kitchen, Tony’s Pizza, Azores Cafe, The Happy Rooster, The Prime Cut, Cazuelas Mary, Maui Pho, and Toro Sushi, Bar & Grill. Thanks for being brave enough to get in the arena against the big dogs.

Sometimes readers e-mail me and ask me to ignore the restaurant chains to help the local “little guys” out. I don’t think that’s a reasonable suggestion, and will continue to give the franchised operations the attention they deserve.

Restaurants that show Bakersfield is changing

Azores Cafe, 1723 18th St ., 864-1081. This small family-run restaurant offers some inexpensive, homemade Cuban and Azorean options for lunch or dinner. Very charming, and another example of welcome diversity in our dining scene.

Mama Roomba, 1814 Eye St., 322-6262. While walking around downtown looking for a restaurant, we seldom find any empty table at this tiny place. It’s got a lot of character and a diverse menu that defies easy categorization. Supposedly Caribbean, but the menu is very eclectic. I think they just love good food.

Thai Kitchen, 9901 Hageman Road, 589-8678. In Los Angeles, Thai restaurants are everywhere. Considering Bakersfield’s tendency to embrace anything spicy, you’d think Thai would fly here. It’s happening now, and this Rosedale restaurant is an example of why: locally owned, lots of options for vegetarians, authentic cuisine. More Thai restaurants are on the way (one will open soon near the new Action Sports store), and I think there’s room enough for all, if they’re run as well as the Thai Kitchen.

The Happy Rooster Peruvian Cuisine, 3220 Stine Road, 833-3724. Our first Peruvian restaurant is more like a family-run coffee shop than a gourmet restaurant, but most foodies would tell you that Peruvian cuisine (with influences ranging from Chinese to Japanese, Indian and Italian) is one of the most interesting cuisines in the world. We’re lucky to have it.

Most improved restaurants of 2007

Valentien Restaurant & Wine Bar, 3310 Truxtun Ave., 864-0397. New owners Jennifer Sanderson and Jeramy Brown have revitalized this small restaurant in exciting ways, including special wine dinners and e-mails keeping regulars notified about special events at the restaurant. The menu is ever changing, but the quality does not. Why just a couple of weeks ago I received an unsolicited e-mail from reader Harvey Campbell, who described himself as a 35-year resident who dines out frequently. He proclaimed Valentien the best restaurant in town for the following reasons:

“1. good and varied continental menu,

2. proper-sized portions,

3. excellent sauces,

4. a $15 prix fix luncheon menu that can not be beat

5. a wide and affordable wine list and excellent wines by the glass.”

McGee’s at the Icehouse, 3401 Chester Ave., 323-8730. Last spring after an ownership change, this restaurant (located in one of the most interesting restaurant spaces in town) really ramped up its game and became instantly one of the top five restaurants in town. Everything from appetizers to desserts are first-rate, and the staff has a helpful, positive energy that makes the dining experience truly exquisite.

Most improved: Valentien Restaurant & Wine Bar

Honorary mentions: old standbys that have kicked it up a notch this year:

Mama Tosca’s Ristorante Italiano, 9000 Ming Ave., 831-1242. As time goes by, a restaurant may not necessarily change but your appreciation of what they do can, and I’ve had so many different entrees over the years at Mama’s. I think the ravioli cognac, the osso bucco, the gnocchi can pass muster in cities with great reputations for Italian food such as San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C. The staff is polished and professional, and the location at The Marketplace is an oasis of taste and civility.

The Bistro, 5101 California Ave., 323-3905. This restaurant at the Sheraton Four Points has always tried to stay nimble in the face of changing culinary trends, but the menu unveiled this year had so many good choices even as it looked less diverse than in the past. The kitchen’s emphasis on first-rate ingredients and the charming staff make it an excellent choice for an anniversary dinner.

Restaurants I’d miss the most if I moved away

This is my personal list, and I have no intention of flying away, but these are the gems I don’t feel you can find just anywhere:

24th Street Cafe: For its always innovative breakfast menu. The perfect place to spend a weekend morning in Bakersfield.

Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace: For the history on the wall and the chicken fried steaks.

Cafe Med: For the passion the owner has for great food and wine, and its consistency.

Valentien: It’s small, personal, intimate and like being invited to an exclusive party that you’ll remember forever. All that, in a restaurant.

Frugatti’s: For Italian food and whole milk mozzarella wood-fire oven pizza with a modern, casual spin.

Pizza Bob’s: For its Sicilian pizza and meatball sandwiches.

Brinks Deli: For the sandwiches, especially the Sicilian beef. Quality ingredients.

T.L. Maxwell’s: Like Cafe Med, the owner is passionate about first-rate food. Plus the desserts are incredible.

Jake’s Original Tex-Mex Cafe: For the garlic chicken no matter how you eat it and the belcher spuds.

Luigi’s Restaurant & Delicatessen: For the history on the wall (notice a trend) and the fond memories of many great lunches and laughs there.

Wool Growers Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge: For classic Basque food in an atmosphere that’s not too modern, not too tattered.

Welcome: Best new restaurants of 2007

The Crest Bar and Grill, 5025 Wible Road, 833-9998. The quality of the ingredients is amazing, and since it’s tucked into an RV park near the auto mall I wonder how many others will know about its excellence? If you love beef tri-tip, try the East Coast Provost ($7.95), made with grilled mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese. Light dinners and entrees are all done well here, and the Crest will begin offering breakfast on the weekends starting Jan. 12.

Cazuelas Mary Grill and Bar, 250 Oak St., 637-2000. Those who complain all Bakersfield Mexican restaurants offer the same selections need to visit this charming Oak Street restaurant where you can get great entrees such as the shrimp with tequila sauce or mole verde pork chops. A fun, casual dining option.

Toro Sushi, Bar & Grill, 9000 Ming Ave., 663-7878. The freshness of the sushi is superb, the noodle dishes are great, as is the teriyaki. Almost everything we tried was superb from this small restaurant that faces the south entrance of the CSUB campus.

Benjamin’s Restaurant & Cocktails, 1419 19th St., 324-2528. I didn’t go into rave overdrive after my visit to this new place in the old Xanders Grill location just east of Chester Avenue , but I think with time and support it will evolve into a key contributor to the restaurant scene. I’m rooting for owner John Benjamin.

The Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall Road, 831-1413. OK. It’s not exactly new, but what began as a tiny meat market has evolved into a full-scale restaurant that features great steaks, pit-style beef and Cajun specialties. Fun.

Love Sushi, 3940 Coffee Road, 587-4245. A great, hip new restaurant that offers both Japanese entrees and sushi of all types.

Ruben’s Mexican & Seafood, 1804 Chester Ave., 328-1166. Not completely new, as there was a Ruben’s on Union, but we were vastly impressed by the variety and quality of the Mexican food last summer when this restaurant opened in the old Gumbeaux’s location. Where else can you get pork spareribs chili verde?

Best of the new: Crest Bar and Grill

What’s next for Bakersfield

While the restaurant industry is pretty fluid, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a slowdown in the number of new places open in 2008, especially since there are so many in the process right now in all the new shopping centers around the city.

I’ve heard the east side is going to get some new eateries in the East Hills Mall remodel, and I’m waiting to hear what else will be going in near BJ’s and P.F. Chang’s. There are a number of new places opening soon in the Rosedale area, including a place called Hourglass Kitchen & Bar (intersection of Calloway and Brimhall) that I’ve been told will be something like RJ’s: casual food in a bar-social atmosphere.

Can we hope for an actual New York deli in the NY Deli that’s opening in that same shopping center? I had seen legal notices on the space near Cold Stone at The Marketplace for a wok restaurant called Pineapple Joe’s, but no activity there in recent weeks.

Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que will be opening soon after the complete remodel of the old Pizza Market on Rosedale Highway, and based on my visits to the chain’s restaurants in other cities I think it will be a place that is perfect for this market. And I’m still eagerly awaiting Eboys Hot Dogs on the east side, someone promising to give us our own Pink’s. People with dreams like that keep me optimistic that we won’t lack for interesting dining options.