I think they have pretty good food.

I think they have pretty good food.

Apparently it's too much to ask for an Italian food restaurant in Bakersfield to know the difference between marinara and meat sauce, even after you've repeatedly told your server you're a...

Apparently it's too much to ask for an Italian food restaurant in Bakersfield to know the difference between marinara and meat sauce, even after you've repeatedly told your server you're a vegetarian and they've assured you you'll get marinara.

What a disappointing shame!  We ate at M.T. last night for our 10th anniversary and I want a "do over." 

I was nervous when we arrived.  We had reservations, but really didn't...

What a disappointing shame!  We ate at M.T. last night for our 10th anniversary and I want a "do over." 

I was nervous when we arrived.  We had reservations, but really didn't need them as there were only a couple of table taken. A line of servers standing along the wall suggested that there was a crowd yet to arrive.

Bread was served and the wine brought to the table.  Glasses weren't that clean.  Bread was good, but the "olive oil" for dipping was pale both in color and flavor.

The calamari starter was tasty. Squid nicely cooked and the marinara was nicely balanced.  During our pre-dinner nibbly we watched the table next to us receive their dinner and the meals looked good, so I gained some hope for ours.

Its important to remember that it was our anniversary, we picked M.T. for the "chateaubriand", as that was what we dined on at our wedding.  Regrettably, the meal served to us was a far cry from what was expected.  I'm not sure what cut of meat we got, but it was not the expected tenderloin.  Normally, the dish is cooked whole, a delicate process to ensure even cooking without over cooking the outside while leaving the center raw.  No worries on the piece of meat we were served....it had be sliced before cooking...as demonstrated by the "cooked" part being on the outside of the meat as one sees in a steak rather than the "cut" part of a roast.  The thin pieces were not tender, as they should be from the tenderloin and they were overcooked to boot.  The real jaw dropper was the sauce.  For the last hundred years, chateaubriand has been served with a bernaise sauce, before that a sauce with veal gravy and shallots.  Last night's meal was neither.  Odd, as M.T. has a filet served with bernaise right on the menu.  I actually sat and just stared at my plate when it arrived and finally mentioned my shock to the server, which received no response.  We decided to eat it anyway, only to discover the lack of quality in the meat and preparation.

We skipped dessert and coffee.  All told, we spent 50 minutes at the place from arrival to departure.  The same line of servers was on the wall.  Only a couple of tables had arrived, though 2 (including us) had left. 

Over all, the price was exhorbitant for mediocre food.  I don't mind paying dearly for high quallity, but this was the worst of all worlds...two plates of poorly executed meat, sided by anemic portions of pasta (where were the traditional potatos?) and some tough vegatables, a shared appetizer and two glasses of house red was north of $100.

After walking the marketplace we decided that the meal was actually so unsatifying that we still wanted a nibble.  Thankyou Johnny Rockets for your great fries and malts.

Sadly, M.T. is not the only "upscale" restaurant in Bako that has disappointed.  I guess we were spoiled when we lived in L.A. 10 years ago, as the is a plethora of fine dining.  We have resolved to simply stick to the solid home fare our adopted home town has to offer and drive over the hill for anything upscale.

Tellingly, our friends that stayed with our son mentioned when we returned that she doesn't ge the draw to M.T., but knew that some people like it so she hadn't said anything before we went.  Talk about fueling my "can I have a do-over!"

I had this magnificent pet Labrador dog. She’s one of the best pets I ever had. One day she had gotten out of the backyard. I searched everywhere for her....

I had this magnificent pet Labrador dog. She’s one of the best pets I ever had. One day she had gotten out of the backyard. I searched everywhere for her. But, to no avail. The next day, everyone and their brother that went to the McDonald’s down the block were bragging about the great tasting hamburgers over there. Go figure! Do you think, maybe…? No. I hope not. Needless to say, I don’t eat at your local McDonald’s or for that matter any kind of fast food restaurants. Something to think about though, thinks real hard about. 

            Have you ever went somewhere with someone, somewhere that was a once in a lifetime experience only to wish you were there with someone else? I guess it did make the restaurant that much better. I hope that everyone’s experience wasn’t just as mine was even though I did enjoy the restaurant.

            The restaurant I had picked was Mama Tosca, an Italian Restaurant at 9000 Ming in the shopping center across from Cal State Bakersfield. Before I go any further, I would like to give a real big KUDOS to my waiter Alex. Even when my visa card came back declined, he not once made me feel out of place.

            Like a fish out of water, I didn’t belong in a place like that. I will not waste my time boring you with words such as renaissance, ambience, contour, moral, extraordinarily, or maculate. Now, let me get back to my waiter Alex. As a person like a fish out of water, I really didn’t know what to order. As much I knew what I wanted. I picked an Italian restaurant because I had a craving for seafood. Before he had gone on to us about what the specials were and the delicacies, I had stopped him in his tracks and just came out and asked him what kind of seafood they had. He had suggested the full lobster or the half lobster. I wanted the full lobster. I couldn’t wait, even though we did.

Now, let me back up. When I had mentioned to my date, the little “assignment” I had to do, and not being familiar with fancy restaurants in the Bakersfield area, I asked if she could pick the restaurant and make reservations for two, which she had done. She had said we were going to be a little late getting up there which we weren’t and I had suggested just to use her cell phone and give them a jingle just to let them know we were going to be a little late she had said no maybe we could make it. Which we did only to find a super empty restaurant with no people in front of us let alone a line. But, it was something I put up with all through the evening. KUDOS Alex. When we had arrived at about 5:28, we found the maître, it look as though it was casual Fridays. Nothing spectacular, no nice shirt and tie, no tie at all. We were seated, out of all the empty tables they had. Knowing to fill the tables up to the waiters who were waiting them. It was really not the type of establishment that I patronize, not at all. Alex hooked my up, he was right there knowing exactly what would touch my fancy.

 After a little small talk, I was getting a little impatient with my food coming out so I was wondering if I should order some appetizers. Just then, my waiter came by Alex, who was busy holding up the side of the wall with the other waiters because of the fact that I guess the rush hour hadn’t hit yet on a slow Saturday night.

 As he arrived, I Had asked him if they had any appetizers he could bring by but, he had assured me that my food would be arriving before the appetizers did, which it did.

The lobster looked tasty, the veggies adequate, the mash potatoes, frozen. As I said, like a fish out of water. I wasn’t impressed at all. I just kept thinking to myself, there’s just no way. No way could they have served so little. No way could they have justified this establishment; no way could they get away with this. But, it dawned on me it wasn’t just about the food. Nor was it just about me. That’s when I took a good look around; saw some more people coming in. Big smiling faces, people wanting to get away from their place of business and be somewhere terrific.

 Let’s talk food; it was brought in the usual waiter-tray format. It was laid on my table in the usual here you go mentality. Looking down it looks great. Tasting the succulent and juicy lobster wasn’t there. A little bland but mostly chunky. Before I had a chance to look around to find where they’ve hidden all the food I was suppose to get,  and taste thi8s tasty meal, I had realized I had tasted all this non-juicy, food- fried imitation food. I, for once in my life was tasting this once in a lifetime succulent this is how I taste Lobster. And I savored every bite. To say it was the greatest is saying the least.

Now, the veggies were a different story.  The onions had some flavor, the red bell peppers had a “look to them, and the asphergus; well let’s just say I was glad they were there. And, the mash potatoes, the way they looked, they looked so very powdery but, an out-of this-world kind of taste. I know. I know mashed potatoes and these were no powdery wet mash potatoes.  I enjoyed it. Yes, I had enjoyed myself besides the crappy company, besides the obnoxious maitred, and besides the feeling I had of not getting what I wanted. The food was so tastefully elegant and the service superb. And that’s what Moma Toscas is something terrific. My lobster wasn’t over cooked; my veggies weren’t store bought, and my mashed potatoes, tasted fantastic. I was able to look around and see a place that was exactly what it claimed to be. I was able to loose this pessimistic mentality and see a waiter who really cared. Cared about what he did, cared about what he was doing, and cared about the people he served, KUDOS Alex.

            I would kindly recommend and suggest this restaurant to any and ever romantic human being out there. The atmosphere was great, the service better, the ambience tried but nice, and the food well worth the money. I want to thank everyone out there at Moma Tosca to feel real good about themselves and the food they serve. My hat is off to you people.