There are those rare occasions when you walk into a new restaurant and the decor is so impressive that you think there's a real vision at work here.
That's what happened when we walked into Ritmo, a clubby restaurant/nightclub in northwest Bakersfield that has a striking black wall with neon accents to the right as you enter. The use of neon instead of something more typical is impressive, and there are four interesting messages: "Country Music & Whiskey," "Selena," the Bad Bunny logo and "Tequila Kisses" with lips below the words. Fascinating choices.
There's a well-appointed patio, but we dined inside amid the high-top tables and booths. A party nearby had balloons with a woman celebrating her 30th birthday. We were moved because a party of 35 had made a reservation.
This location, which was the former home of King Tut Restaurant & Hookah Bar, is going in a completely different direction with a classy but small bar at the back near the kitchen. Note the hours in the sidebar — it closes at 4 a.m. It seems like a pub with fare that wouldn't just be something to fill your stomach, even though my companion and I seriously differed on her short rib tacos.
Ritmo's menu consists of a mix of burgers, sandwiches, salads, flatbread pizzas, wings, tacos and sliders. I thought it was pricey, but that cool decor needs to be paid for in some way. On this visit, I ordered the Buffalo chicken flatbread pizza ($14) while my companion chose the braised short rib taco plate ($17), which came with fries, tater tots or a salad.
There was no debating the quality of the beef in those tacos. It was exceptional, and, as someone who ate a lot of short ribs on the bone in my home as a child and always loved the tough but tasty cut of beef (reminds me a lot of brisket), I have an affection for the product and am encouraged by all the interesting things chefs have done with it.
We also both agreed on the exceptional corn tortillas used. They were neither completely soft nor crispy, sort of in-between, and our waitress said the kitchen had a special source for these. I suspect they were lightly grilled before assembly, without a lot of grease in the process so you could still taste the corn.
My problem was that each of the three was too rich with meat and had little of that cilantro-white-and-red-onion garnish that I treasure. I realize that some people, such as my companion, would not find that a flaw, particularly given the moist, tasty nature of the beef, which was in her book quite memorable. Perhaps if it had been crowned with more of the onions, I would have been more forgiving.
Not much debate with the flatbread, which was large enough for two to share and was loaded with chunks of chicken (both white and dark meat, as I prefer) that had been coated with a red sauce before baking. The cooking process created a nice spicy crust on the outside of each piece. There were some strands of red onion sprinkled about, tomato sauce and the perfect amount of mozzarella. Not a bold culinary creation but something that is far better than the typical bar food.
Unlike its food menu, Ritmo's listing of its bar offerings, including specialty cocktails, doesn't have a single price on them. I didn't ask, just got a draft beer (they have six, and my Modelo was $8) while my companion got a generous pour of chardonnay for $6.
I have a friend who complained on social media about another restaurant that had a menu with no prices on it. Given the inflationary times we're living in, I can sure understand that. Who wants to commit to the price of an entree six months from now? Or will you be reprinting regularly?
That's why I've grown fond of those QR codes with the menu that you look up on your phone, though I've heard from other readers they don't like that either, but it does give the establishment the chance to adjust the price without reprinting.
We visited early on a weekday night, and it wasn't too crowded, but folks were streaming in. I suspect word is getting out about the classy vibe.