http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072 Reader: My name is Nikki and I own Nikki's Smokin BBQ, featured in Pete Tittl's restaurant review Feb. 14. If you are going to write a story on my place, please get your facts right. One, if your reviewer had looked at our menu, our beef ribs are not done in the smoker. Two, there is no bacon in the Potato for a Crowd. Three, what do we have anything to do with the Barbecue Factory? I do respect Pete Tittl's opinion, and on that note, will be making some changes (bread). The only other thing I have to tell you is the writing on the wall was my little brother's initials that passed away from cancer right before we opened, so thanks so much for mocking it. -- Nikki Craig &nbsp; Reader: We all have our bad days, but this must have been Pete Tittl's worst! Nikki's is a GREAT place to eat! Many of us eat there regularly, more than once a week, and the food is ALWAYS scrumptious. Well prepared, clearly without shortcuts (boiling the ribs? You've gotta be kidding!) And the atmosphere is delightful -- a country picnic theme. Thus the mural with a &quot;dominating&quot; tree, which is very well done, I might add. At least he did show a bit of good sense with complimenting the twice-baked potato and sheet cake -- old family recipes! I, for one, can't wait to get back to Nikki's for lunch. Think I'll go tomorrow! -- Joy Irvin &nbsp; Reader: Pete Tittl just released an article about Nikki's Smokin BBQ. I must say that he showed an extreme amount of disrespect and a lack of class. He makes comments about the initials carved into a tree in a mural. Please inform Mr. Tittl that those initials are a tribute to the owner, Ms. Craig's brother who passed away from cancer in 2007. He was in his early 20's. Also Mr. Tittl claims that Nikki's does not really smoke their food as they claim and stops just short of calling them liars. Had Mr. Tittl requested a look at the kitchen or asked the owner exactly how things were prepared maybe he wouldn't pose opinions that undermine what they are trying to do there. What difference does a sign on the door of an office play when evaluating a restaurant? It seems Mr. Tittl went in there with a bad attitude from the time he walked in the door. Comparing it to the Barbecue Factory is also irresponsible. In no way is Nikki's trying to recreate their atmosphere or food. I think it is appropriate for Mr. Tittl to print a retraction and apologize for the gross amount of disrespect he has shown Nikki's, Ms. Craig, and the Californian's readers. Sincerely, -- Chris Williford &nbsp; Jenner: Pete Tittl has been reviewing local restaurants for more nearly 20 years. We run his reviews as a service to our readers, and he tries to point readers to venues and menus we think they might want to try. His review did not savage Nikki's Smokin BBQ, and I believe it was fair. I asked Pete to respond to the criticisms lodged above. Here are his comments: &quot;As a restaurant columnist, I'm an eternal optimist. I go to new restaurant's always hoping for the best, but as a stand-in for The Californian's readers I must write my honest reactions or I will be of little use to them. I realize they can disagree with my opinions, but I try to be fair to all businesses I write about. &quot;I did not try to insult the owner's brother by referring to the initials on the painted tree. I tried to provide as many details as possible as to what the interior looked like, and I called it 'interesting.' Nothing more. Calling it interesting is not close to 'mocking' it. &quot;When I sampled the twice-baked potato casserole, I also noted the presence of a smoked meat. Perhaps it was ham, but it can be difficult to tell, so I asked the waitress what was in it. She said the ingredients included bacon and cheese. &quot;I could not tell from the menu whether the beef ribs were prepared in the smoker or not, but they sure did not taste like the beef ribs I have enjoyed at other restaurants that were either grilled or smoked. &quot;I realize she was not involved with the restaurant when it was the Barbecue Factory, but since Nikki's is located in exactly the same location and has a similar menu, I thought it was relevant to mention it, especially given that the two restaurants have a very similar menu. &quot;I believe I was fair to the restaurant by highlighting what they did do well, particularly the sheet cake and the potato, and ended the column on a hopeful note in the last paragraph.&quot; &nbsp; Reader: The Board of Directors of the Kern County Paralegal Association was quite distressed with the Feb. 14 story headlined &quot;Paralegal sentenced in e-mail case.&quot; Members of our association, and the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations in particular, worked with the California Legislature to define a paralegal, and to establish educational standards. Not only is our profession now defined by California Business &amp; Professions Code &sect;6450, we have a Code of Ethics, just like attorneys. Our organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Because of our continuing education requirements, KCPA became a state-bar approved MCLE provider. We have worked long and hard to establish standards and respect for our profession. We have helped to educate attorneys in the use of our services for the betterment of their law practice, and how to differentiate between paralegals/legal assistants (synonymous), legal secretaries, legal document assistants, legal clerks, etc. A person is not a paralegal just because he/she works in a law office and the attorney calls them a paralegal. Because attorneys Michael Kilpatrick and George Boyle probably called Victor VeVea a paralegal, that is what he was called in the court documents. KCPA was quite distressed with United States District Judge Lawrence O'Neill's quote that VeVea was an &quot;intellectual vigilante who has his own set of laws and rules.&quot; Paralegals HAVE a code of ethics; Mr. VeVea apparently does not. We invite you to visit our Web site at www.kcpaonline.org, and CAPA's at www.caparalegal.org. -- Aneta L. Adams, CLA Board Advisor and Former President, Kern County Paralegal Association Jenner: I appreciate your efforts to uphold the standards of paralegals. VeVea was a paralegal, according to the court and his employer. In looking at the state Business and Professions Code 6450, which you mention, it says a person can become a paralegal in a number of ways, including working for an attorney and doing substantial legal work under their supervision. The code also doesn't require specific certification or education to be a general paralegal, just a bachelor's degree in any subject, at least a year's work experience for an attorney and a declaration from that attorney that they are qualified to be a paralegal. Reader: My name is Nikki and I own Nikki's Smokin BBQ, featured in Pete Tittl's restaurant review Feb. 14. If you are going to write a story on my place, please get your facts right. One, if your reviewer had looked at our menu, our beef ribs are not done in the smoker. Two, there is no bacon in the Potato for a Crowd. Three, what do we have anything to do with the Barbecue Factory? I do respect Pete Tittl's opinion, and on that note, will be making some changes (bread). The only other thing I have to tell you is the writing on the wall was my little brother's initials that passed away from cancer right before we opened, so thanks so much for mocking it. -- Nikki Craig &nbsp; Reader: We all have our bad days, but this must have been Pete Tittl's worst! Nikki's is a GREAT place to eat! Many of us eat there regularly, more than once a week, and the food is ALWAYS scrumptious. Well prepared, clearly without shortcuts (boiling the ribs? You've gotta be kidding!) And the atmosphere is delightful -- a country picnic theme. Thus the mural with a &quot;dominating&quot; tree, which is very well done, I might add. At least he did show a bit of good sense with complimenting the twice-baked potato and sheet cake -- old family recipes! I, for one, can't wait to get back to Nikki's for lunch. Think I'll go tomorrow! -- Joy Irvin &nbsp; Reader: Pete Tittl just released an article about Nikki's Smokin BBQ. I must say that he showed an extreme amount of disrespect and a lack of class. He makes comments about the initials carved into a tree in a mural. Please inform Mr. Tittl that those initials are a tribute to the owner, Ms. Craig's brother who passed away from cancer in 2007. He was in his early 20's. Also Mr. Tittl claims that Nikki's does not really smoke their food as they claim and stops just short of calling them liars. Had Mr. Tittl requested a look at the kitchen or asked the owner exactly how things were prepared maybe he wouldn't pose opinions that undermine what they are trying to do there. What difference does a sign on the door of an office play when evaluating a restaurant? It seems Mr. Tittl went in there with a bad attitude from the time he walked in the door. Comparing it to the Barbecue Factory is also irresponsible. In no way is Nikki's trying to recreate their atmosphere or food. I think it is appropriate for Mr. Tittl to print a retraction and apologize for the gross amount of disrespect he has shown Nikki's, Ms. Craig, and the Californian's readers. Sincerely, -- Chris Williford &nbsp; Jenner: Pete Tittl has been reviewing local restaurants for more nearly 20 years. We run his reviews as a service to our readers, and he tries to point readers to venues and menus we think they might want to try. His review did not savage Nikki's Smokin BBQ, and I believe it was fair. I asked Pete to respond to the criticisms lodged above. Here are his comments: &quot;As a restaurant columnist, I'm an eternal optimist. I go to new restaurant's always hoping for the best, but as a stand-in for The Californian's readers I must write my honest reactions or I will be of little use to them. I realize they can disagree with my opinions, but I try to be fair to all businesses I write about. &quot;I did not try to insult the owner's brother by referring to the initials on the painted tree. I tried to provide as many details as possible as to what the interior looked like, and I called it 'interesting.' Nothing more. Calling it interesting is not close to 'mocking' it. &quot;When I sampled the twice-baked potato casserole, I also noted the presence of a smoked meat. Perhaps it was ham, but it can be difficult to tell, so I asked the waitress what was in it. She said the ingredients included bacon and cheese. &quot;I could not tell from the menu whether the beef ribs were prepared in the smoker or not, but they sure did not taste like the beef ribs I have enjoyed at other restaurants that were either grilled or smoked. &quot;I realize she was not involved with the restaurant when it was the Barbecue Factory, but since Nikki's is located in exactly the same location and has a similar menu, I thought it was relevant to mention it, especially given that the two restaurants have a very similar menu. &quot;I believe I was fair to the restaurant by highlighting what they did do well, particularly the sheet cake and the potato, and ended the column on a hopeful note in the last paragraph.&quot; &nbsp; Reader: The Board of Directors of the Kern County Paralegal Association was quite distressed with the Feb. 14 story headlined &quot;Paralegal sentenced in e-mail case.&quot; Members of our association, and the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations in particular, worked with the California Legislature to define a paralegal, and to establish educational standards. Not only is our profession now defined by California Business &amp; Professions Code &sect;6450, we have a Code of Ethics, just like attorneys. Our organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Because of our continuing education requirements, KCPA became a state-bar approved MCLE provider. We have worked long and hard to establish standards and respect for our profession. We have helped to educate attorneys in the use of our services for the betterment of their law practice, and how to differentiate between paralegals/legal assistants (synonymous), legal secretaries, legal document assistants, legal clerks, etc. A person is not a paralegal just because he/she works in a law office and the attorney calls them a paralegal. Because attorneys Michael Kilpatrick and George Boyle probably called Victor VeVea a paralegal, that is what he was called in the court documents. KCPA was quite distressed with United States District Judge Lawrence O'Neill's quote that VeVea was an &quot;intellectual vigilante who has his own set of laws and rules.&quot; Paralegals HAVE a code of ethics; Mr. VeVea apparently does not. We invite you to visit our Web site at www.kcpaonline.org, and CAPA's at www.caparalegal.org. -- Aneta L. Adams, CLA Board Advisor and Former President, Kern County Paralegal Association Jenner: I appreciate your efforts to uphold the standards of paralegals. VeVea was a paralegal, according to the court and his employer. In looking at the state Business and Professions Code 6450, which you mention, it says a person can become a paralegal in a number of ways, including working for an attorney and doing substantial legal work under their supervision. The code also doesn't require specific certification or education to be a general paralegal, just a bachelor's degree in any subject, at least a year's work experience for an attorney and a declaration from that attorney that they are qualified to be a paralegal. en-us Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:01:01 PST <p>Yes, I think the review was off base, and harsh for a Pete Tittl review. What I found curious, was the fact that the Barbeque Factory was mentioned three times in the article. We got a Barbeque Factory history in the review. Excuse me, but who cares? The restaurant being reviewed, Nikki's Smokin' BBQ, got only one mention by name in the first sentence, but Famous Dave's Barbecue got the final mention.&nbsp; I think it was so bush league to mention that in the review. </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_202401 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_202401 <p>Yes, I think the review was off base, and harsh for a Pete Tittl review. What I found curious, was the fact that the Barbeque Factory was mentioned three times in the article. We got a Barbeque Factory history in the review. Excuse me, but who cares? The restaurant being reviewed, Nikki's Smokin' BBQ, got only one mention by name in the first sentence, but Famous Dave's Barbecue got the final mention.&nbsp; I think it was so bush league to mention that in the review. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was also bush league to make accusations about how the cooking was done and print them without checking with the staff.</p> <p>Tittl's&nbsp;a hack when it comes to reviewing restaurants. He'd never make it in a city that actually had something resembling a variety of cuisines.&nbsp; He'd be laughed out of a job.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_202422 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_202422 <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It was also bush league to make accusations about how the cooking was done and print them without checking with the staff.</p> <p>Tittl's&nbsp;a hack when it comes to reviewing restaurants. He'd never make it in a city that actually had something resembling a variety of cuisines.&nbsp; He'd be laughed out of a job.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Been to Nikki's once and it was a horrible.&nbsp; The tables were dirty, the food was LOUSY.&nbsp; Sounds to me like Titl was not candid enough.&nbsp; The quality was very low and the preparation only made it worse.&nbsp; Overcooked, too greasy, on and on.&nbsp; Don't waste your time or money on this restaurant.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_202435 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_202435 <p>Been to Nikki's once and it was a horrible.&nbsp; The tables were dirty, the food was LOUSY.&nbsp; Sounds to me like Titl was not candid enough.&nbsp; The quality was very low and the preparation only made it worse.&nbsp; Overcooked, too greasy, on and on.&nbsp; Don't waste your time or money on this restaurant.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is it possible for the website people to link together the original review with the resulting retort? It would help the reader to know the whole story instead of wondering what has been said in the past. As of the writing of this post, no such link exists on the page (i.e. not under &ldquo;topics&rdquo; or &ldquo;previous posts&rdquo;). A search of the website for the review is convoluted, as most search engines are, but here is the link for those who wish to read Tittl&rsquo;s review. &ldquo;Tittl review: Nikki's Smoking BBQ not ready for prime time&rdquo; <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/calendar/go_do/story/362319.html"><font color="#800080">http://www.bakersfield.com/calendar/go_do/story/362319.html</font></a> I hope the link doesn&rsquo;t die.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">Regards, Chad</span></p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_218779 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_218779 <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is it possible for the website people to link together the original review with the resulting retort? It would help the reader to know the whole story instead of wondering what has been said in the past. As of the writing of this post, no such link exists on the page (i.e. not under &ldquo;topics&rdquo; or &ldquo;previous posts&rdquo;). A search of the website for the review is convoluted, as most search engines are, but here is the link for those who wish to read Tittl&rsquo;s review. &ldquo;Tittl review: Nikki's Smoking BBQ not ready for prime time&rdquo; <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/calendar/go_do/story/362319.html"><font color="#800080">http://www.bakersfield.com/calendar/go_do/story/362319.html</font></a> I hope the link doesn&rsquo;t die.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">Regards, Chad</span></p> <p>I ate at Nikki's also. Food was cold and not very good. Service was okay. I wouldn't reccomend wasting money at this establishment.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_231296 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_231296 <p>I ate at Nikki's also. Food was cold and not very good. Service was okay. I wouldn't reccomend wasting money at this establishment.</p> <p>WE LOVE NiKKiS! EVEN iF THE CRiTiC DONT!</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_234305 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_234305 <p>WE LOVE NiKKiS! EVEN iF THE CRiTiC DONT!</p> <p></p> <div>I wish to publish a statement about something that I witnessed this morning (Saturday, May 24, 2008) that truly upset me. I was at the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union on Ming Ave. &amp; McDonald Wy. And a 20 to 30-something Hispanic male with a caligraphy lettering tatoo on the back of his neck was there with 2 children, one was an infant (which he was holding) and the other about 3 or 4 years old. Both had blondish-brown hair.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>He left the 4 yr old standing all by herself for about 20 minutes until she began crying. It was another 3-5 minutes before a lady decided to calm her down and help her. ...I thank that lady. But my statement is this: Children&nbsp;do not belong to people at first.&nbsp;About the first 18 years of a childs life&nbsp;is&nbsp;Gods' Probationary Period for new parents. Children belong to God, until their parents/guardians can prove themselves completely responsible, accountable and worthy enough to hold&nbsp;parental titleship.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I hope the mother of those children is reading this because there is&nbsp;absolutely NO excuse for such irresponsibility.&nbsp;I have personally seen single&nbsp;fathers&nbsp;who have more children that pay better attention than that.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I did not want to make a scene, but I really should have because the more I think about it the angrier I become. At least by writing this I feel I am at least doing something and that I have a better chance of&nbsp;capturing that mothers attention!</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Sincerely,</div> <div>Royally MAD</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>PS&nbsp; Please post this statement everywhere, it is one that I feel that everyone must read.</div> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_243160 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_243160 <p></p> <div>I wish to publish a statement about something that I witnessed this morning (Saturday, May 24, 2008) that truly upset me. I was at the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union on Ming Ave. &amp; McDonald Wy. And a 20 to 30-something Hispanic male with a caligraphy lettering tatoo on the back of his neck was there with 2 children, one was an infant (which he was holding) and the other about 3 or 4 years old. Both had blondish-brown hair.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>He left the 4 yr old standing all by herself for about 20 minutes until she began crying. It was another 3-5 minutes before a lady decided to calm her down and help her. ...I thank that lady. But my statement is this: Children&nbsp;do not belong to people at first.&nbsp;About the first 18 years of a childs life&nbsp;is&nbsp;Gods' Probationary Period for new parents. Children belong to God, until their parents/guardians can prove themselves completely responsible, accountable and worthy enough to hold&nbsp;parental titleship.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I hope the mother of those children is reading this because there is&nbsp;absolutely NO excuse for such irresponsibility.&nbsp;I have personally seen single&nbsp;fathers&nbsp;who have more children that pay better attention than that.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I did not want to make a scene, but I really should have because the more I think about it the angrier I become. At least by writing this I feel I am at least doing something and that I have a better chance of&nbsp;capturing that mothers attention!</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Sincerely,</div> <div>Royally MAD</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>PS&nbsp; Please post this statement everywhere, it is one that I feel that everyone must read.</div>   My pet peeve is parents who dont watch their children Idont believe its a probationary period from god because if thatwas the case then he hasnt been doing a good job at getting them away from bad parents. I read about parents crossing busy streets at night with 3or 4 kids and when one trails way behind gets hit by a car. Why did the parent cross safely without making sure all the kids were with them? Then cry the loudest when something happens.. http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_247197 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_247197   My pet peeve is parents who dont watch their children Idont believe its a probationary period from god because if thatwas the case then he hasnt been doing a good job at getting them away from bad parents. I read about parents crossing busy streets at night with 3or 4 kids and when one trails way behind gets hit by a car. Why did the parent cross safely without making sure all the kids were with them? Then cry the loudest when something happens.. <p>My pet peeve is also parents who have children, and then forget to take care of them. Or take them swimming, when they can't swim.&nbsp; Or expect the community to watch out for their children and then pay the lawsuit the parent files when the child is hurt or killed.&nbsp; What happened to common sense, people? It isn't about your culture, traditions, or race. It is about common sense. A child is just that...a child.&nbsp; A parent is supposed to be one who teaches a child how to grow into an adult.&nbsp;&nbsp; Parenting isn't about the coming together of two bodies for sexual relief; it is imperative that if a child comes out of that union, TWO people act maturely and take responsiblity for that child's life and development.&nbsp; It takes a village, yes,&nbsp;but as a back-up, not the&nbsp;sole provider. That is the responsiblity of the parent.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274130 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274130 <p>My pet peeve is also parents who have children, and then forget to take care of them. Or take them swimming, when they can't swim.&nbsp; Or expect the community to watch out for their children and then pay the lawsuit the parent files when the child is hurt or killed.&nbsp; What happened to common sense, people? It isn't about your culture, traditions, or race. It is about common sense. A child is just that...a child.&nbsp; A parent is supposed to be one who teaches a child how to grow into an adult.&nbsp;&nbsp; Parenting isn't about the coming together of two bodies for sexual relief; it is imperative that if a child comes out of that union, TWO people act maturely and take responsiblity for that child's life and development.&nbsp; It takes a village, yes,&nbsp;but as a back-up, not the&nbsp;sole provider. That is the responsiblity of the parent.</p> <p>Pete Tittl can say anything he wants, and the paper backs him up. Of course, he is wrong at times, but don't bother telling the paper.&nbsp; You will get the same response as was made about Nikki's.&nbsp; As one person said, Tittl wouldn't make it in any area other than Bakersfield, unless another paper protected him as the Californian does.&nbsp; Curious how many more times he will cover Dave's BBQ and Luigi's.&nbsp;&nbsp; Enough is enough.&nbsp; We get the idea...favorite places.&nbsp;&nbsp;But is that what a critic does...ruminates over the places he finds&nbsp;wonderful? &nbsp; Maybe he could take his family( his companions)&nbsp;to other places rather than the ones they really like,&nbsp;and then we would get a better represention of what is available for the rest of us.&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274133 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274133 <p>Pete Tittl can say anything he wants, and the paper backs him up. Of course, he is wrong at times, but don't bother telling the paper.&nbsp; You will get the same response as was made about Nikki's.&nbsp; As one person said, Tittl wouldn't make it in any area other than Bakersfield, unless another paper protected him as the Californian does.&nbsp; Curious how many more times he will cover Dave's BBQ and Luigi's.&nbsp;&nbsp; Enough is enough.&nbsp; We get the idea...favorite places.&nbsp;&nbsp;But is that what a critic does...ruminates over the places he finds&nbsp;wonderful? &nbsp; Maybe he could take his family( his companions)&nbsp;to other places rather than the ones they really like,&nbsp;and then we would get a better represention of what is available for the rest of us.&nbsp;</p> <p>Like where dutchlady, Hodels and Carrows? Do you ever go anywhere that doesn't offer the early bird, senior special?</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274143 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274143 <p>Like where dutchlady, Hodels and Carrows? Do you ever go anywhere that doesn't offer the early bird, senior special?</p> <p>dutchlady, Title (sp) is a critic, the Californian doesn't have to back him up.  They don't always agree with editorials either.  Like any critique it's subjective not science and you won't necessarily see two people completely agree on any restaurant.</p> <p>I will agree about Luigis...as good as it may be, it gets reviewed a lot more than the others.</p> <p>Maybe the paper should put in a disclaimer saying "this review is not necessarily the opinion of the entire staff and management but just Pete's take on it."</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274175 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274175 <p>dutchlady, Title (sp) is a critic, the Californian doesn't have to back him up.  They don't always agree with editorials either.  Like any critique it's subjective not science and you won't necessarily see two people completely agree on any restaurant.</p> <p>I will agree about Luigis...as good as it may be, it gets reviewed a lot more than the others.</p> <p>Maybe the paper should put in a disclaimer saying "this review is not necessarily the opinion of the entire staff and management but just Pete's take on it."</p> &nbsp; I really don't care what pete tittl says......He may hate it I may love it.......everyones different. I liked nikkis. http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274210 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274210 &nbsp; I really don't care what pete tittl says......He may hate it I may love it.......everyones different. I liked nikkis. &nbsp; Oldblue......Do you get the senior discount yet? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274213 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274213 &nbsp; Oldblue......Do you get the senior discount yet? <p>Dutchlady, you should go find a copy of the Pearls Before Swine comic strip from December 2006 where the crocodiles eat Pete. My favorite line from it is &quot;What happened in Bakersfield?!?&quot;. I have it posted up on my board of comics.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274459 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274459 <p>Dutchlady, you should go find a copy of the Pearls Before Swine comic strip from December 2006 where the crocodiles eat Pete. My favorite line from it is &quot;What happened in Bakersfield?!?&quot;. I have it posted up on my board of comics.</p> <p>Shwaine, I don't mean to get technical about that particular comic, but I must point something out.</p> <p>On that particular strip of Pearls Before Swine, when he says that he ate the food editor in Bakersfield, it means nothing. Everyone seems to have missed the point that there is no food &quot;editor.&quot; Tittl is not an editor; he is a food critic for The Californian. Given the fact that I have met Tittl, I take no personal opinion about any of this. I just want to point that out, because everyone I knew was talking about it, but no one seemed to understand that.</p> <p>Jenner said something similar in response to a reader who had complained about Tittl and mentioned the comic, but these are my own words. I figured that out after someone showed me the comic at school.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274472 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274472 <p>Shwaine, I don't mean to get technical about that particular comic, but I must point something out.</p> <p>On that particular strip of Pearls Before Swine, when he says that he ate the food editor in Bakersfield, it means nothing. Everyone seems to have missed the point that there is no food &quot;editor.&quot; Tittl is not an editor; he is a food critic for The Californian. Given the fact that I have met Tittl, I take no personal opinion about any of this. I just want to point that out, because everyone I knew was talking about it, but no one seemed to understand that.</p> <p>Jenner said something similar in response to a reader who had complained about Tittl and mentioned the comic, but these are my own words. I figured that out after someone showed me the comic at school.</p> <p>I  agree Lana.  It;s best we just go eat at the places we want to and do our own critique.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274473 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274473 <p>I  agree Lana.  It;s best we just go eat at the places we want to and do our own critique.</p> <p>Wow, Nancy, what are you doing online at 2 a.m.? I thought I was the only person on the blogs this late at night.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274474 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274474 <p>Wow, Nancy, what are you doing online at 2 a.m.? I thought I was the only person on the blogs this late at night.</p> <p>Robin..it was just one of those &quot;woke up and couldn't sleep&quot; &nbsp;things.&nbsp; I think the heat has something to do with it too.&nbsp; It's weird but I don't change the thermostat when I go to beg but it seems to get muggier and I wake up off and on all night.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274484 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274484 <p>Robin..it was just one of those &quot;woke up and couldn't sleep&quot; &nbsp;things.&nbsp; I think the heat has something to do with it too.&nbsp; It's weird but I don't change the thermostat when I go to beg but it seems to get muggier and I wake up off and on all night.</p> <p>In other towns, the food editor is a more common term. Those would be the towns that have more than one critic, with the food editor being the big name in the critics department and the rest of the critics being smaller names. So the comic's author was going with the term that would be more accessible to his syndicates... the crocs were still saying they ate Pete though. </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274734 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274734 <p>In other towns, the food editor is a more common term. Those would be the towns that have more than one critic, with the food editor being the big name in the critics department and the rest of the critics being smaller names. So the comic's author was going with the term that would be more accessible to his syndicates... the crocs were still saying they ate Pete though. </p> <p>Shwaine, this is Bakersfield! We are lucky TBC can even get the paper delivered&nbsp;each morning.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274743 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274743 <p>Shwaine, this is Bakersfield! We are lucky TBC can even get the paper delivered&nbsp;each morning.</p> <p>I know OldBlue. I was just explaining to Robin why the comic used the term &quot;editor&quot; instead of &quot;critic&quot;. That we're such a large city with only one food critic is well... Bakersfield I guess.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274759 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_274759 <p>I know OldBlue. I was just explaining to Robin why the comic used the term &quot;editor&quot; instead of &quot;critic&quot;. That we're such a large city with only one food critic is well... Bakersfield I guess.</p> <p>I remember a story Pete wrote about a project I did for a class at Cal State, back when it was still a college. He sensationalized it and made us look like idiots rather than researchers. Since then, I have never relied on his reviews or opinions about anything.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_283530 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_283530 <p>I remember a story Pete wrote about a project I did for a class at Cal State, back when it was still a college. He sensationalized it and made us look like idiots rather than researchers. Since then, I have never relied on his reviews or opinions about anything.</p> <p>Elgin..clarify Cal State just being a college please.&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_283570 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_283570 <p>Elgin..clarify Cal State just being a college please.&nbsp;</p> <p>Pete Tittl had came into several restaurants I worked at in the past while going to college. I must say he was honest and fair, I can also state I have been in Niki's BBQ and the food was pretty awful, majority of everything was cold, and the service was garbage. It is obvious to me Niki's main business is in the bar, but the ambiance is that of a bunch of old men trying to feel warm and cozy around some attractive women rather than the food itself. The place looked dirty, and resembled a retirement cafeteria. Pete Tittl is always more than fair, and instead of getting butt hurt about his review the restaurant owners should learn from his column and rectify it, Pete will be back and if everything still sucks he will point it out as well as he would if it improved.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_287887 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_287887 <p>Pete Tittl had came into several restaurants I worked at in the past while going to college. I must say he was honest and fair, I can also state I have been in Niki's BBQ and the food was pretty awful, majority of everything was cold, and the service was garbage. It is obvious to me Niki's main business is in the bar, but the ambiance is that of a bunch of old men trying to feel warm and cozy around some attractive women rather than the food itself. The place looked dirty, and resembled a retirement cafeteria. Pete Tittl is always more than fair, and instead of getting butt hurt about his review the restaurant owners should learn from his column and rectify it, Pete will be back and if everything still sucks he will point it out as well as he would if it improved.</p> <p>&nbsp;Hate to say it but that review is on point.&nbsp; The man never bashed the interior decorating....Maybe the comment on the &quot;employees only sign&quot; was a bit insinuating but...Why would it be so blunt?&nbsp; Otherwise he merely descibed it at face value.&nbsp; Ive only eaten there once....I live in westchester and LOVE bbq.&nbsp;&nbsp; We did get take out so maybe sit&nbsp;down is better?&nbsp; I would agree with the descriptions of the food as we sampled the same items and had the same results.&nbsp; Dry meat, and bland sides.&nbsp; Never been to bbq factory and Im new to the area so no preconcieved notions were present.&nbsp; I will say that it seems to be busy on a regular basis so they definitely have a following.&nbsp; Maybe I'll return and mention the poor review to catalyst a good meal?</p> <p>Nikki</p> <p>To call out a local restaurant critic is probably the WORST thing an owner can do.&nbsp; Sure, this guy is small time, Im afraid most things are in Bako arent they?&nbsp;As an example, Toro is quite arguably the best reviewed Sushi restaurant in town but does it even compare to many LA venues?&nbsp; IMO no.&nbsp; Are we a minutes drive from some the freshest fish on the west coast, no.&nbsp; But its still damn good!&nbsp; Implying this man would fail in LA is quite a shot(TRM).&nbsp;&nbsp;A much more professional way to address the situation would be to publically invite said reviewer back for Round 2 on the house.&nbsp; Not insult his reveiew as being uneducated and wrong with the help of regular customers.</p> <p>Being a noob in Bakersfield, I rely on the locals advise for the best cuisine in town.&nbsp; I try to stay away from the chains as much as possible and without this board, that would mean alot of trial and error.&nbsp; So thanks to all you fellow eaters out there!</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_291209 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/soundoff/22072/#c_291209 <p>&nbsp;Hate to say it but that review is on point.&nbsp; The man never bashed the interior decorating....Maybe the comment on the &quot;employees only sign&quot; was a bit insinuating but...Why would it be so blunt?&nbsp; Otherwise he merely descibed it at face value.&nbsp; Ive only eaten there once....I live in westchester and LOVE bbq.&nbsp;&nbsp; We did get take out so maybe sit&nbsp;down is better?&nbsp; I would agree with the descriptions of the food as we sampled the same items and had the same results.&nbsp; Dry meat, and bland sides.&nbsp; Never been to bbq factory and Im new to the area so no preconcieved notions were present.&nbsp; I will say that it seems to be busy on a regular basis so they definitely have a following.&nbsp; Maybe I'll return and mention the poor review to catalyst a good meal?</p> <p>Nikki</p> <p>To call out a local restaurant critic is probably the WORST thing an owner can do.&nbsp; Sure, this guy is small time, Im afraid most things are in Bako arent they?&nbsp;As an example, Toro is quite arguably the best reviewed Sushi restaurant in town but does it even compare to many LA venues?&nbsp; IMO no.&nbsp; Are we a minutes drive from some the freshest fish on the west coast, no.&nbsp; But its still damn good!&nbsp; Implying this man would fail in LA is quite a shot(TRM).&nbsp;&nbsp;A much more professional way to address the situation would be to publically invite said reviewer back for Round 2 on the house.&nbsp; Not insult his reveiew as being uneducated and wrong with the help of regular customers.</p> <p>Being a noob in Bakersfield, I rely on the locals advise for the best cuisine in town.&nbsp; I try to stay away from the chains as much as possible and without this board, that would mean alot of trial and error.&nbsp; So thanks to all you fellow eaters out there!</p>