TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Contributing columnist

pftittl@gmail.com

I love the concept of auto malls: geographic locations where you can roam from lot to lot, playing the dealers against one another like the champion negotiator you are until they practically pay you to take a new car.

Who am I kidding? These guys are pros, we're delusional amateurs, they throw in a paint treatment or floor mats and we think we're Donald Trump. But we still buy the car and afterward -- that famous new car smell permeating our clothes -- we're eager to buy the celebratory Burrito of Excellence. Where to go?

California BAM Deli is the place. I know Crest Bar and Grill is nearby, and I seem to write about it every other week, but there is a small deli on Pacheco Road that opened recently that offers sandwiches, burritos and Greek specialties that may be the place to go after closing the deal on your new wheels.

My strongest recommendation at BAM Deli is the breakfast burrito ($3.95 for choice of bacon, ham, sausage or chorizo). It's a thing of beauty, simple but logical in its construction. They use three eggs, which means it's fat with protein. I chose bacon, which was a mistake because they gave me limp, limp bacon. The kind you can't bite into because it's too soft. Ouch. There oughta be a law. But what makes it great was the mild pico de gallo salsa with the welcome sharpness of the cilantro and the finely grated cheese, which melted so evenly. Thinly sliced, crisp brown potato slices provided the crown on this kingly creation. Other than the bacon, it was so good it made me want to go out and buy a car.

We went back at lunch and ordered a pulled pork sandwich ($6.95) and something called a gyro club ($8.50). The pulled pork was like a Greek version of the sandwich, with a spice mix that was nothing like the great pulled pork we've enjoyed at Champs in the past. My companion has become somewhat obsessive about pulled pork in recent months, trying various versions as well as making a decent version at home. She thought the spice mix here offputting, and I agreed. It was just too different, not what you expect for a Southern staple, and should've been identified as such on the menu.

But let's skip past that and go to the gyro club, which I had never even heard of but which deserves some positive attention. It's a double decker pita bread creation made with that wonderful garlicky lamb, the super yogurt dressing, a grilled chicken breast, bacon (crisper than what they gave me in my breakfast burrito!), tomato, iceberg lettuce, and, unfortunately, mayo. Why that was there instead of another spread of yogurt dressing is a mystery to me. This sandwich, cut into quarters, was an immense creation with so many different flavors and textures that I'd easily recommend it. Not too much garlic -- really the perfect proportion -- so it wasn't overwhelming.

The deli is a small place with seafoam green walls and a few tables, but it's homey enough and the small staff really seems focused on customer service. A sign says they offer new soup every day from October through March, and I heard one staffer talking about how she needed to make the chicken soup that day when I was there for breakfast, so we know it isn't just a prefab version. I must also mention that there's a sign saying they use Pyrenees bread for the sandwiches. If I don't mention that, a retired former employee of the bakery will call my house to remind me that I neglected to mention that. I'm not sure how she got my home number, but she is one loyal and dedicated retiree.