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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, February 10, 2011
Eye Street
Index Asleep at the Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Chris Vanderlei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Gem of the Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Arts Alive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Scott Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Brian Regan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30-31
Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com
Here’s to being single together Popular event a different spin on Valentine’s Day BY STEFANI DIAS Californian assistant lifestyles editor sdias@bakersfield.com
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or those without a valentine, Monday could be a lonely day — but not if Keith Barnes has anything to say about it. For the fourth year in a row, the hardworking owner of The Garden Spot is hosting the Good for the Heart Singles Only Dinner, which he guarantees will be a blast. With a hearty meal of Mama’s lemon chicken and roasted red potatoes to a potentially heart-warming speed dating session and other games to break the ice, we’d be inclined to agree. And the kicker? It’s all free. Of course you can’t just show up with your party hat on, ready for fun. Tickets are available by calling the restaurant. Barnes said after the initial year of first-come, first- served ticket distribution, he now parcels out tickets all the way up to Valentine’s Day, meaning procrastinators (or victims of pre-holiday breakups) still have a chance to go. For all the single ladies who like to travel in a pack, Barnes warned you can’t ask for tickets in bulk. To those who may be too shy to go on their own, he said, “They’re not going to be by themselves,” as the event is meant to encourage mingling and getting to know new people. The event starts at 6 p.m. with dinner, including the aforementioned chicken and potatoes (along with a side of asparagus) as well as the usual healthy and diverse salad bar. In previous years, Barnes has done the cooking but this year he’s enlisting some help, including an intern,
Fourth annual Good for the Heart Singles Only Dinner When: Dinner at 6 p.m., activities start at 6:30 p.m. Monday Where: The Garden Spot, 3320 Truxtun Ave. Cost: Free, but you need a ticket to attend. For a ticket, call 323-3236.
St. Valentine’s Day Celebration What: Pasta dinner and music by Dennis Wilson and The Arvizu Brothers When: Starts 5:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Elks Lodge, Antler Room, 1616 30th St. Cost: $15 Information: 323-7535
to come up with the desserts. After the meal, the fun really begins with a casual speed-dating session that Barnes said shouldn’t worry guests. He said the ones who initially tell him, “I don’t want to do that,” are often the ones who make a mad dash for the last remaining chairs. About half the people who attend end up participating, Barnes said, although it’s optional. The fun session has men rotating at three-minute intervals after chatting up a lady. Last year, the setup for the speed dating snaked through the restaurant, which may explain why live music is off the menu this time around. (Barnes also said that it was hard to hear the performers over the crowd.) If you want an easier way to break the ice, there are other games to keep people talking. One includes a variation on bingo that has participants seeking out people who meet the requirements on the paper,
such as having blue eyes or a birthday in August. The player who finds matches for the bingo card the fastest wins a prize. Another game involves handing out playing cards torn in half with participants seeking out their “other half.” All the activities are run by volunteers, including staffers and their family and friends, who Barnes said are eager to help. The event has certainly grown in popularity since its start in 2008. Created out of the desire to offer singles a fun and relaxed place to go for what Hallmark deems the most romantic day of the year, Barnes expected maybe 20 people at the first event. So he was surprised to find the “phone ringing off the hook” after the dinner was included in a Californian article about singles’ events. The event has remained a local favorite, and Barnes said people have called over the past two months to make sure the event was on for this year. Along with romance — Barnes said he heard from three couples who met last year — the dinner has fostered many friendships. Barnes said that a group of people who had met there have gathered again, planning a wine tasting with a chartered bus. Fun activities like these are something Barnes encourages and in which he participates. He said more singles events are planned, including a game night and speed dating. So for anyone who can’t make the dinner on Monday, there will be more fun and inexpensive opportunities for singles, something that Barnes said can be difficult to find locally. “We could use more events like this,” he said. To join the mailing list for upcoming singles events, e-mail gardenspot@att.net.
Valentine’s dance at the Elks Lodge No party gets wilder than an Elks party.
DIGITAL IMAGE BY SEAN LOCKE
Speed dating has many variations, but the goal is always the same — to try and link up compatible people.
Those guys are animals. And, as they do every year, the social organization is hosting a Valentine’s Day Celebration dance that everyone — Elk or not — can attend. Saturday’s big night starts at 7 p.m. with music by The Arvizu Brothers and Dennis Wilson in the Antler Room of the lodge, 1616 30th St. The cost is $15, including a pasta dinner, champagne toast and gifts for all attendees. Cathy Terhune, Lodge manager and a member herself (they began allowing women to join about 15 years ago), said 178 people attended last year, about 80 percent of them members. “But the other 20 percent usually become members after,” she said.
THERE’S STILL TIME TO MAKE THOSE DINNER RESERVATIONS! For all the gentlemen — you know who you are — who’ve known Valentine’s Day was fast approaching but still put off making plans, be warned: Time’s up. Luckily we did some of the legwork for you, checking with a few local favorites and finding out what’s on the menu. Read on, phone in hand, and book that meal! Popular romantic spot Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar (3310 Truxtun Ave, Suite 160; 864-0397) has been booked for Saturday and Monday for some time, but has taken mercy on procrastinators by extending the Valentine’s Day experience to include Friday and Tuesday. With live music from Mauro Vizcarra, a festive ambience and offerings from the Valentine’s Day menu and other specials (like fresh salmon from Scotland), you’re sure to impress your sweetheart. Speaking of impressing, consider dining at The Petroleum Club (5060 California
Ave., #12; 324-6561), which offers a guest pass for those couples looking for a special meal with a view. Bookings were still available on Saturday and Monday (as of Tuesday) for the holiday dinner featuring fresh shucked oysters, pepper steak beef tenderloin, red velvet cake and more. Also making a splash is KC Steakhouse (2515 F St.,322-9910), which will blow up “thousands of balloons,” according to owner Charlotte Carter, to float above diners and feature live music (not usual on Mondays). The steakhouse, which is still taking reservations, will serve a menu of its top 15 entrees and a dessert of raspberries and boysenberries marinated in Grand Marnier and served with ice cream. You can feel the love at The Bistro (5105 California Ave., 862-7426) as well, which also has openings on Monday. With tempting dishes like crab croquettes and seared duck breast in a port wine-fig-
mint demi glace on the special menu, you should act quickly. Waiter Brian Fox did offer hope for even the most absentminded planners, saying that often there are spots that open up to accommodate guests of the Four Points by Sheraton and late arrivals. Hopefuls are encouraged to relax in the lounge and wait it out. Cafe Med (4809 Stockdale Highway, 8344433), another local favorite, has a couple of options. There are still openings available for the weekend and Monday with offerings featuring filet mignon on its own or with lobster or shrimp. Call ahead and have flowers or other treats on the table when you arrive. And if your plan is to have a romantic evening at home, the restaurant also offers those entrees as heat-and-serve dinners to go with all the fixings. Also celebrating this “weekend of love” is fine dining Mexican restaurant Red Pepper (2641 Oswell St., Suite G; 871-
5787). The northeast spot is offering a special menu from Friday to Monday which includes your choice of starter, one of three entrees —including crab enchiladas El Cortez — and Mexican chocolate flan for dessert. Red Pepper will spread the love all month long with a special pairing of late harvest dessert wines with special chocolate desserts, including the flan. Speaking of sweets, Moo Creamery (4885 Truxtun Ave., Suite B; 861-1130) has some lovely specials as well. Reservations are still open for a pre-fixe menu Monday with three courses, featuring desserts such as a sweet potato turnover with brown sugar ice cream and candied pecans. There are also entree and themed dessert options to go, but order by Saturday if you want to guarantee availability on the big day. — Stefani Dias, Californian assistant lifestyles editor