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1. PETE TITTL: Like a fine wine, eatery has matured

   By Pete Tittl

   Thursday, May 23 2013 06:41 PM

   New restaurants change as the years go by, ideally for the better. Steak & Grape is one of those restaurants. I wasn't that impressed during my first visit after it opened two years ago, but I felt it had potential. It's improved in a lot of ways since then, with an impressive Sunday brunch, First Friday wine and beer tastings ($20, including appetizers), better service and now a new menu that has some tempting and satisfying choices, such as sea scallops chardonnay (available as an appetizer or dinner), four different types of soft-shell tacos, a fish sandwich made with tilapia and a Bolognese pasta ($13.95) made with sauteed beef and mushrooms.

   I almost ordered that pasta, but was unable to resist another of the new menu items, the...

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2. 

   PETE TITTL: Getting to Coseree's Restaurant hard; staying there easy

   Some new restaurants open with all sorts of hype: spotlights scanning the skies outside, long lines, full parking lots, media attention. Coseree's Restaurant & Catering is not one of those places. In fact, one of the most valuable points...
3. 

   PETE TITTL: Old-time Italian still done the best

   Every city needs those restaurants that move blissfully through the decades, anchored as a reliable source of sustenance to the regulars. We have a few of those in the heart of the city, and one of those stalwarts, celebrating its 30th...
4. 

   PETE TITTL: Where our readers go out for lunch

   This week we've got something old, something new, nothing borrowed and after what we tasted, we're anything but blue. We're featuring two lunch spots, both recommended by readers -- one of which is an exceptional value. Los Comales...
5. 

   The Dish: Cupcake bakery on the move

   Frosting Ink, one of Bakersfield's top cupcake bakeries, is moving from its current location northwest of the Padre Hotel and the downtown post office to 1913 Eye St., right in the middle of Bakersfield's growing arts district. Owner...
6. 

   PETE TITTL: Cataldo's a place even New Yorkers can call home

   We're fortunate in Bakersfield to have some locally owned restaurants doing so well that they're expanding all over town: Que Pasa, Tony's Pizza, La Mina and now Cataldo's Pizzeria, which has opened its fifth Kern County location in what...
7. 

   PETE TITTL: Taste of heaven, via Havana

   Bakersfield has not exactly been a hotbed for Cuban cuisine. We've got Mama Roomba (which was really busy on a recent Saturday night when we strolled by) but a fast-food Cuban buffet at the corner of California and Chester avenues didn't...
9. 

   PETE TITTL: Can't get enough of Lam's

   The most common complaint some folks have about Chinese restaurants is that what they serve is toned-down and Americanized. An example of a similar cultural disconnect is found at the Olive Garden, whose food is so far from genuine Italian...
10. 

    PETE TITTL: They aim to please, and hit the mark

    I had figured that with other La Mina restaurants in town, including the always-busy Rosedale location, that the new restaurant at the corner of Gosford and District Boulevard in the southwest would not be packed. Major miscalculation on...
11. 

    PETE TITTL: Definitely a mixed bag at Mimi's Cafe

    Years ago, Mimi's Cafe, a French-influenced chain based in Irvine, was early to jump on the low-calorie menu options trend and the "small plates" movement that is still growing nationwide. Now with their new menu, they've added a distinct...

12. The Dish: 'No soup for you!' -- until you visit Vons

    One of the most popular episodes of "Seinfeld" ever was centered on a New York City restaurateur affectionately called the "Soup Nazi," inspired by Al Yeganeh's legendary midtown soup kitchen. You can now buy four of his soups at most...

13. PETE TITTL: Now this is my kind of Seoul food

    Korean food is not considered one of the world's great cuisines, but it has to be one of the most addictive. I've received emails from servicemen who had extended tours there, and they speak of an almost religious need to get a fix of it...

14. The Dish: Barbecue restaurant to open on Coffee

    Dickey's Barbecue Pit, a company born north of Dallas in 1941, is preparing to open its first Bakersfield location on Coffee Road north of Rosedale Highway. Dickey's serves up beef brisket, pulled pork, ham, Polish sausage, turkey breast...