Little Italy, Bakersfield

As most readers know, I’m harsh, sometimes very harsh on Italian restaurants. I expect a lot. But I’m also fair and when an Italian restaurant puts itself out there as simply a family eatery with solid Italian American food, my expectations tend to be more reasonable. Little Italy in Bakersfield is exactly as billed, a simple Italian American family restaurant.

I could have gotten lucky with what I ordered, the penne (from a box) with bulk sausage in a tomato sauce, splashed with a little cream. But guess what? It hit the spot. The pasta was done properly, the sauce was well seasoned and certainly generous (meaning it was an American portion of sauce), and the sausage was good. I can’t complain. I’m not comparing this penne dish with one that I would have had in Naples for instance. I don’t compare Chianti with Dry Creek Sangiovese either, they’re totally different products. But this pasta could have been a disaster. The sauce could have been sweet or the bulk sausage, gristly. But no. The sauce had a tomato flavor rounded out with the flavors of fennel, pepper, and light spice from the sausage and incorporated together by the splash of cream.

I can’t speak to all the other choices on the menu or even if this place is consistent, but for that night, I had a solid Italian American meal at Little Italy in Bakersfield.

Mamma Lucia, Santa Cruz

The atmosphere here is casual and less hectic than Café Lucio. Italian music, the one major atmospheric element taken from Café Lucio is being played Lucio style…meaning, it’s blaring in the background. All orders are taken at the counter and patrons take their number to an open table; food is then delivered by an expediter. The menu is Italian American, incorporating burgers and fries. The pasta menu consists of ItalAmer staples, pomodoro, alfredo, ragu. Pizzas and Panini are abundant.

 

I ordered the fettuccine alfredo. The portion size is a little smaller than Lucio’s. In other words, a normal portion for one person.  It’s creamy, the pasta is cooked properly, and it’s good. It’s not exactly how Lucio would make it. I don’t taste any nutmeg and it doesn’t have a yellowish hew to it either. Lucio would add an egg yolk to the sauce off-heat just before tossing the pasta through. But as I mentioned, this is ItalAmer cuisine, not hard core Lucio cuisine.

 

Mamma Lucia may be the best spot in Santa Cruz, for an easy, no nonsense plate of food cooked from scratch if you want to bring the kids and not wait for Lucio to cook for you in between cigarette breaks or personally making espresso for 20 people while juggling 10 other meal orders.

Firenze by Night, San Francisco.

Caesar salad. Gnocchi with Wild Boar Bolognese. Lamb Osso Bucco. I think I’ve had this meal 3 years in a row for an annual Christmas Holiday dinner in San Francisco and it tastes and looks the same every year. The salad, packed full of anchovy. The gnocchi,  simply dressed with ragu. The lamb, tender as usual, has a light brown mushroom sauce. It’s becoming a tradition.

What made it more fun this year, I got to talk with Sergio, the owner. Sergio happens to be friends with Lucio Fanni, yes, the crazy man from Santa Cruz I’ve been talking about for years. They actually cooked together 25 years ago in San Francisco. Sergio and I shared a few stories about Lucio; the motorcycle, the move from Capitola, to Seabright, to Santa Cruz, and of course women. We’ll see what happens next Christmas for the annual dinner at Firenze, but I have a feeling it will be as consistent and memorable as the others.

Sugo, Petaluma (again)

I dove in on some gorgonzola gnocchi on my second visit and I’ll admit, the sauce was even too rich for me. All that cream and tangy, pungent cheese was a lot to work through, but I finished it anyway. Clean Plate Club all the way. The gnocchi were of size, larger than my mother’s and less gnarled, a stylistic thing for the most part. Guess what, they're freshly made, not always easy to find.

Flour + Water, San Francisco

I sat at the bar on a warm Wednesday evening in San Francisco. I’ve heard a lot about Flour+Water, a lot of good things. The only bad thing, the potential wait for a table; so I arrived when they opened for dinner service, 5:30. Only one thing interested me that night, the pasta tasting. There are no substitutions for the pasta tastings, only additions can be made. I made a single addition to Flour + Water’s Autumn Pasta Tasting, orrechiette with rapini.

As for wine notes, I paired a bottle (yes an entire bottle) of Rosato, 2010 Bisson, Ciliegiolo, Golfo del Tigullio DOC from Liguria with the entire meal, as I’d done in Italy several times over. In my humble opinion, Rosato pairs with practically everything. 

To start, Eggplant and treccione aformatino with crispy butter beans, cavolo nero and chili oil. The timbale or tortino, depending upon what classic or more recognized word you would like to use, was smoothly made. The eggplant when combined with the smoked cheese made for a pleasant and light starter. The timbale itself was light, near custard–like consistency, but lighter. The chili oil was unexpected for its heat, but welcome as its intent was to wake up the mouth. The fried butter beans were really good too and offered the crunchy contrast to the timbale.

 

First Pasta: Butternut squash tortelli, I expected this to taste good and considering I was in the kitchen at Parma in Fresno with Elena watching this very dish being made, complete with the amaretti cookie, this dish was no surprise for the season. The pasta was light, the filling tasted of the season, and the dish was simply presented and served. A solid start to the pasta tasting.

 

Second Pasta: Sunchoke and ricotta cappelletti, personally, the standout of the evening in terms of flavor and presentation. The pasta shape itself was perfect, standing up on the plate. Great texture, mouth-feel, and flavor in each of the bites. If they tripled the order, I wouldn’t have had any problems finishing it.

Third Pasta: Saffron lasagnette, probably the most challenging of the courses as I reflect on all of them. I happened to enjoy this dish, but I like shellfish and saffron. I can see where these strong flavors could be a challenge for others. Small circles of pasta were layered one on top of the other, with various seafood in between each layer. A béchamel-like sauce was also in between the layers of pasta to carry the flavor. The pasta itself was crispy along the edges. Lots of flavor here, but perhaps not a dish for everyone. I happened to like it.

 

Fourth Pasta: Horseradish leaf strozzapreti was a simple dish, perhaps less impactful than the previous lasagnette or nothing to make it pop like the others. Just not as memorable. It was good, just not the highlight of the night. (Sorry, no more pictures, they dimmed the lights)

Fifth Pasta (optional addition): Orrechiette, my personal addition to the tasting menu, was not traditional in the sense that the sauce the pasta was served in was creamy, rather than simply olive oil, chili, and greens. The dish seemed more American or perhaps more Tuscan than Puglian, with a creamier consistency to the sauce rather than the blunt force usually used in most orrecheitte dishes I ate in Puglia. Not once did I have this dish in Puglia as richly prepared as here. Is this good or bad? I still don’t know yet. I was often surprised at Michelin starred chefs in Puglia elevating a dish beyond their simple roots and this could classify as elevation, but I’m might need to eat it again to decide. 

Sixth Pasta: Pig heart caramelle, if you like offal, this dish is for you. As I happen to like pig heart, I loved this dish. It was the right way to end a tasting, with a bold flavor of offal. The pasta itself was the contrast, good texture to the edges and near paper thin in the middle. Well executed. 

Dessert Course: Olive oil and thyme cake. Normally I don’t even cover desserts, I either forget that I ate dessert, don’t take a picture, or just want chocolate. I’m making an exception because this cake reminded me of Italian breakfast in Puglia. The cake was savory and slightly sweet. The olive oil was present in both smell and flavor. It was simple and lovely and I could have eaten twice as much.

I am very pleased with my experience at Flour+ Water. Service was attentive and friendly. The pace of the tasting menu from the kitchen was wonderfully timed, and the food was above average at worst. I may have personal issues with orrechiette, but don’t let that stop you from ordering it if it’s on the menu. I bashed the strozzapreti a little, but if you compare it to other restaurants serving the same dish, I’d put money on F+W doing it better than most. I’d come back and I’d recommend that my readers visit.