Lunch time w/o April 4th
Monday I had lunch at Frugatti’s with customers. Frugatti’s is always a solid 3 star lunch experience. I usually get the eggplant Parmesan on the lunch specials list. I love the marinara sauce and the side of pasta with the fresh roll that comes with the dish. It’s a large dish and enough to take half of it home. Today however, I decided to try something different. I ordered the meatball sandwich. The roll was toasted and the cheese melted. It was really big and I didn’t think I could get it into my mouth. So being with customers, I used my knife and fork. I silently reminded myself of a story my Dad told us when we were at my Aunt Emma’s 98th birthday. He had a relative that did not want to have anything to do with anything that was related to being Mexican. He did not want to speak Spanish or eat Mexican food. And when he did eat tacos, he used a knife and fork. I laughed to myself remembering Dad mimic this guy using a knife and fork with his pinkies out like he was playing a violin. I also wanted to use my knife and fork because of the toasted bun. Sometimes a crusty roll and hot marinara sauce is just the right combination to rip the roof of my mouth to shreds. And with the hot mozzarella cheese to add to the damage, I didn’t want to go through that. The meatballs were big and meaty and the sandwich was good, although ordinary.
On Wednesday, I went to Chipotle on Brundage. It was very busy at noon with lots of young people. I ordered a steak salad with everything. It starts with nice fresh Romaine lettuce and I had pinto beans, salsa, guacamole and cheese. It’s a great salad and cost about $9 with tax. The restaurant was so noisy inside, I was glad to find a seat in the patio outside. I even found the morning paper to read for the second time that day. I like Chipotle for quality, a generous portion and value. Maybe that’s why so many young people were there. Also, it’s next to the Boarders that is closing. There is a 20% off everything, so I went in and found a couple CD’s. I got Band on the Run, a classic I never did have. It was our favorite CD on Me and Eppard’s first and every road trip from 1974 to 1976. Band on the Run is the best road trip song ever. That, and Benny and the Jets. I also got Joan Baez’ Diamonds and Rust. I know she is a stupid liberal, but I like the title track. And I would never buy either of these CD’s unless they were on sale. So, thank you Boarders for closing.
Thursday was a day when I had colleagues with me from Houston. We had a meeting at the top of the Midway Sunset field to kick off a project. We got done at lunch and I was going to take them to the famous McKittrick Hotel for lunch. Then I remembered it was Thursday – steak day. There is always a big crowd on Thursday and you need to get there by 11:00 to get a table. The steaks are the bomb. They barbeque a great ribeye steak and people come in from the oilfields for a real treat. I was looking forward to showing them the oil seep at the McKittrick Brea Pit. It’s pretty cool to see bubble up out of the ground along the side of the road. But we had another appointment in the afternoon on the other side of the valley. So I missed showing them the Penny Bar at the McKittrick Hotel. I missed showing them the old photographs on the walls and the picture of the Lakeview gusher. I missed telling them of how I used to go there for breakfast in 1981 as a young mud engineer. And how before there were fax machines or cell phones, the drilling engineer would have a phone and cord brought to the table and he would plug it into the 4 prong phone jack, still on the wall and call in the drilling report. And I missed telling how after 30 years of working in these oilfields and eating at this place, I can’t believe I am still here.
But alas, we bypassed the Penny Bar and went to Bakersfield for lunch. I took them to Noriega Hotel. But we missed the 12:00 sit down for lunch, so we eat in the bar. There is a limited unpublished lunch menu in bar: lamb or tri-tip dip; pickled tongue sandwich; grilled lamb or tri-tip and cheese sandwich; and hamburgers. We all had cheeseburgers. All the sandwiches come with salad and fries. It’s’ a great bargain for $8.50. But it doesn’t come with wine like in the dining room. It’s just as well since we were going to a meeting. The burgers are great, piled high with ripe tomatoes (2 thick slices), sweet white onions and lettuce. The patty was hand pressed and hung over the fat bakery bun. Although I think mine was cooked a little too long on the flat top (a little Food Network lingo). The fries are great, hot and fresh. And the lady in the bar provides great service. Another 4 stars for Noriega Hotel.
On Friday I went out to the oilfield again, this time to Belridge. I don’t go to Belridge very often at lunch time without going to the taco truck at Entrance D. Gabby from Lost Hills has been there for at least 10 years. They make the best tacos anywhere. They use full size corn tortillas (2 for each taco so they don’t fall apart as easily) and lots of meat. The sauces are great and they only cost a dollar something. I never really know how much they cost. Today, I got 2 lengua tacos, a bottle of diet Pepsi and a Snickers bar for $6.50. Another location to catch Gabby’s is at the little carniceria in Lost Hills on Hwy 46, just west of Lost Hills Road. It’s the same great food and there is a canopy with tables and chairs. The flies don’t bother me too much and they are free. Seriously, the flies are not a reflection on the food or the truck. Flies are everywhere out there. I’ve been in the field before and left my car windows down a bit to keep it from getting too hot. And I get back in my car with a hundred flies in there. 2-80 air can’t even get them out. That’s 2 windows open going 80 miles an hour. I think I still have flies in my car from last summer.
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