Salty & Sweet

Meet one of the owners, Mike Earhart

Elevate your taste buds with Wiki’s Wine Dive & Grill

By Brittany Allen, Julie Mana-ay Perez and Julie Van Es

» IF THERE’S A JOINT THAT DAZZLES ITS CUSTOMERS,

IT’S WIKI’S WINE DIVE & GRILL. Known for being one of Bakersfield’s best happy hour and brunch spots, Wiki’s has continued to elevate its menu and business to attract more customers.

Since opening in April 2013, owners Mike Earhart and Rick Peace have never been afraid to change and adapt, from introducing different dishes to uplifting Wiki’s dinein experience.

Earhart said one of their goals is to set Wiki’s apart from other local businesses.

“It’s all about demographics and what your approach is at a restaurant,” he said. “We wanted to incorporate a fine dining experience with live music and a place to bring

Wiki's garlic cheese bread

Wiki's Wine Dive & Grill serves up a variety of options from healthy fare to loaded entrees.

and laugh with your friends.”

Wiki’s Wine Dive & Grill offers a variety of options from light fare to its entrees and beverages, but the one thing that makes it different from other eateries is its unique twist to every dish and drink.

APPETIZERS WIKI’S GARLIC CHEESE BREAD

JULIE VAN ES: This pull-apart cheese bread was divine. Cheesy, buttery and a hint of garlic. Need I say more? The toasty bread round is easily a crowd-pleaser.

BRITTANY ALLEN: Wiki’s garlic cheese bread is a bread bowl of deliciousness! It’s an amazing appetizer stuffed with a creamy and cheesy garlic filling with a slight kick. And there’s marinara dipping sauce to match the deliciousness.

JULIE MANA-AY PEREZ: If there’s one thing I love eating, it’s good bread for the table. Share this entree with your party because it’s a big plate of toasted, garlic, gooey cheese sensation. Try it with a side of the signature marinara sauce and it’s the perfect appetizer to start the night!

LIGHT AND HEALTHY FARE SANTA FE QUINOA SALAD

JVE: Now, I don’t normally go for quinoa in any of my dishes, but this salad had all of my other favorite ingredients, so I gave it a shot, and boy am I glad I did. The arugula, corn, black beans, avocado and quinoa all meshed nicely with one another and the champagne vinaigrette really brought the salad home.

BA: The santa fe quinoa salad is perfect for those who are

One of Wiki's specialities is its assortment of drinks.

Julie Van Es and Brittany Allen Julie Van Es, Brittany Allen and Julie Mana-ay Perez

healthy eaters. It was plated with fresh arugula, quinoa and avocados. It was just the beginning of this deliciously healthy salad.

STRAWBERRY SALAD

JMP: One of the things I’ve been trying to do is eat healthier dishes at restaurants when I can. Plated with fresh spring mix, sit dried cranberries and strawberries topped with feta cheese and balsamic and champagne vinaigrette. Can you say the perfect pairing?

BA: This is something I would never order from a menu, but this was handsdown one of my favorite dishes from the day. The flavor had an amazing pair of sweet and savory. The vinaigrette wine dressing paired perfectly with the sweet strawberries and cranberries. The chicken was tender and juicy. This is the perfect summer salad for those health-conscious people with a sweet tooth.

JVE: This salad is the definition of sweet and savory! It was dressed with a beautiful vinaigrette that complemented the spring mix and perfectly grilled chicken. The strawberries were the real treat, making every bite more refreshing than the last. The cranberries and the feta sprinkled throughout completed the dish, making it one of my favorite summer salads.

ENTREES CAJUN SHRIMP PASTA

JVE: I am a pasta junkie and this Cajun shrimp fettuccine is a pasta lover’s dream dish. It was by far one of the best dishes I’ve had. Every bite was full of flavor. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the Alfredo sauce had just the right amount of spice and hint of garlic. The sun-dried tomatoes added a wonderful flavor and nice texture to the pasta. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and really topped off this dish.

JMP: Just like Julie Van Es, I love anything that has to do with pasta. I never thought to order a pasta dish here. Boy, was I wrong. This Cajun shrimp pasta was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in this city. I couldn’t get over the flavor of the Cajun Alfredo sauce with the tender shrimp and yummy noodles.

BA: This was such a great dish! I am not a fan of any kind of seafood, but I would order this plate! The sauce is a perfect creation with a slight kick — not too spicy, so even those with a softer palate can enjoy the Cajun flavor, too. There was a generous amount of shrimp without overpowering the dish with a shrimp flvor.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

JVE: This was my first time having beef bourguignon. The plate had a beautiful presentation — loaded with carrots, potatoes and green beans with the beef smack dab in the middle as the star of the show. The beef was extremely tender and melted in your mouth. The green beans gave the dish a wonderful crunch, which was a nice surprise. It was all marinated together with a wonderful wine sauce.

BA: The beef bourguignon is pot roast with a twist! The beef was tender and juicy with a side of lightly cooked fresh green beans paired with a delicious wine sauce — everything you want from a pot roast, but so much more.

DRINKS LEMON DROP MARTINI

JVE: I think Happy Hour was invented with this lemon drop in mind. It had just the right amount of sweetness and still had a bit of a kick.

POMEGRANATE MARTINI

BA: This drink was full of summer flavor. The tart, sweet pomegranate pairs well with the flavor of tequila. If you want a summer drink that is not too sweet, this is the drink for you!

APEROL SPRITZ

JMP: One thing I like about Wiki’s is its drink menu. A lot of their drink offerings are fresh, fruity and taste different every time. Their aperol spritz was so refreshing yet had this carbonated taste that’ll make you forget you’re even drinking something alcoholic.

PINEAPPLE MIMOSA

JVE: This mimosa made me feel like I was on a tropical vacation! The splash of pineapple added to the champagne was a wonderful pairing.

More information

Wiki’s Wine Dive & Grill 11350 Ming Ave., #260 661-399-4547 www.wikiswinedive.com Wiki’s Wine Dive & Grill also provides live music from Friday to Sunday.