Part of the fun while in a different town is to try local restaurants. I did that while in…read morePorterville, CA. I dined at Don Vino's. It's an Italian restaurant with Italian and Mexican dishes. It's located in the heart of the downtown Porterville. The downtown is the cutest with its charming brick sidewalks and modern street lamps with an old fashion look. The restaurant has a secure back parking lot with an entrance. Or you can enter from the front, the street parking is angled lots so no parallel to parking fussiness. They were are able to accommodate large parties if you make reservations in advance. My large-ish group were even able to get separate checks. Appreciate that. Our waitress did a great job handling our table and her other tables. We were immediately served our drinks and complimentary focaccia bread and olive oil n vinegar was brought to the table. I ordered the chicken parmigiana ($20) and requested no mozzarella cheese on top. The waitress informed me that there is some parmesan cheese sprinkled on the spaghetti noodles. Very attentive of her to ask. The plate and food came out hot. The chicken filet was thick but all so tender and moist. Nice amount of breading and without the mozzarella on top just like I requested. Excellent. The serving size was ample. The spaghetti sauce was tasty with a touch of sweetness. Not harsh tasting at all. The noodles were cooked to a perfect doneness. Having a HFCS aversion, I forgot to ask about the sauce but I had no effects. So I'm going go out on a limb and say the sauce has no HFCS.

After my subpar experience at The Palace, I was looking for a new place to have dinner with friends…read morewhile in Porterville. Hoping for a place with good drinks and great food. One of them suggested we try Don Vinos as they have a decent bar area. We went on Friday evening and it wasn't a little busy but not so much that it was obnoxious. Also, even though it was busy, our waitress was on it. As soon as we sat down, she brought over menus and took our drink orders. When I asked about what kind of margaritas they had, she informed me which ones were made with fresh in-house squeezed juice. They all sounded amazing but I opted for the standard with fresh squeezed lemon/lime juice. Our drinks were brought to us not 5 minutes later and then we gave our orders. We ordered the chips and guacamole as an appetizer for the table. It was brought out shortly after we ordered it and was a good portion for 4 people. However, I just wish the guac had more salt as it was a bit bland. For an entree, I opted for the Chili Verde Pizza, which seemed to be the perfect item from this place (an Italian themed restaurant with several Mexican dishes). And, oh man...was this amazing. They use the chili verde sauce as the sauce for the pizza, which is brilliant. Also, the pork had just enough spice. All of my friends and I enjoyed our entrees except for one: A friend of mine had ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo he had on a previous trip to Don Vino's but told me that the new preparation was different from his last time having the dish and it was not as great as before. Other than that, we all finished our dishes and were satisfied. I definitely recommend Don Vino's as a must go in Porterville. The only things keeping me from giving it a 5-star review were the guac being a bit bland and the consistency of dishes being a bit off for my friend. Also, if you don't like super loud restaurants, this might be a skip as the acoustics in there are loud. Other than that, the servers are attentive, the drinks are delicious, and the food is good.

It was my wife's and I's first time trying La Piazza and it didn't disappoint. Kinda…read more The atmosphere and ambience were great, slightly dark, intimate, yet cozy. Great as a date night spot or the casual evening out. The service was great, attentive and friendly. Ordering was quick and efficient. Drinks and appetizer came out quickly until we had to wait for our mains. Didn't time it as we were still enjoying our evening but we waited an extended amount of time. Needless to say we weren't the only ones waiting. With the wait aside we absolutely LOVED our mains! The Gnocchi in the pink gorgonzola sauce was amazing! The gnocchi were soft, pillowy, and cheesy. The sauce was creamy with a sweetness from the tomato sauce with a slight acidity. Highly recommended. The ravioli rustica was delicious. Perfectly cooked ravioli were stuffed with spinach and cheese and sauced with a creamy sweet pea puree. All topped with slivered almonds, which added a nice nuttiness to the dish. Needless to say we cleared the plates. Dessert was their special pistachio tort. A flourless pistachio cake topped with rich chocolate ganache and more crushed pistachios. Rich and decadent. We also ordered their Crème Brûlée. Creamy, smooth, with a slight sweetness. The burnt sugar was perfectly torched with a great crackle. Would order again. A great experience nonetheless. Will definitely add to our rotation for date nights.

I wish I had read El J.'s note before coming here on Mother's Day. La Piazza added a 20% surcharge…read moreto the bill, which felt like a blatant cash grab rather than a reasonable holiday policy. If a restaurant is going to add that kind of charge, it should be clearly disclosed upfront before customers order or make reservations. Unfortunately, the experience did not come close to justifying the extra cost. The steaks were badly overcooked, the food was mediocre at best, and there were large flies throughout the restaurant, which made the meal even more unpleasant. I understand that Mother's Day is a busy day for restaurants, but being busy does not give a business a free pass to surprise customers with excessive charges or deliver poor food and service. The 20% surcharge felt unfair and left a very bad impression. I willnot return, and I would strongly recommend that customers check their bill carefully before paying. SHAME ON YOU FOR SCAMMING CUSTOMERS

Pizza was delicious. Delivery was quick without feeling as…read moreif my food was compromised. Would def order again.

My favorite Italian restaurant closed and I was lacking pizza in my life. After looking at many…read moredifferent businesses and menus the Mediterranean pizza caught my eye and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Yesterday I finally decided to bite the bullet and order. Pizza is typically something that I don't order often because it is usually pretty expensive. The pizza was excellent and I would definitely definitely want this again however I removed a star because when I attempted to order through the pizza guy app when it came time to pay it said if using a card you needed to meet the driver at the door to sign and show the card. I was working and was not able to go to the door so that was not an option for me the only other thing was to pay cash which I don't have. I am not sure why they have to do it this way when every other place can take your card information and leave the food at the door. Other places also offer payment through PayPal or Venmo that's linked directly to your bank account so that's another option that would've been better because ordering through the app I could've used a coupon and saved quite a bit of money. This time I had to go through DoorDash so I had to pay higher price and a small pizza and one drink was over $30 which is way too much in my opinion. If they would give you other payment options through the app that would definitely help and I would be ordering more often. Sometimes having something delivered is not just for convenience but it's the only thing you can do so limiting the options on how you can pay or that you have to meet someone at the door can make a difference. Now for the food review... I loved everything about this pizza other than the price ha ha. Crust was very good there were plenty of toppings and they were well distributed. Even though I like everything on this pizza I was a little unsure about the combination because I've never had this type of pizza before. But it was so good and is definitely a favorite it was also delicious cold I had a piece that evening and that's always a good indicator as well. If a pizza is good both hot and cold that is a plus. Definitely would recommend the Mediterranean pizza and would order again when I am able to go and pick it up myself.

I'd give Sebby's a 3.5, rounding up to a 4! I had dinner around 8/9pm on Valentine's Day so the…read moremenu I got was a little more pared down than their usual. What worked: -- servers and staff were all very kind -- there's decent menu variety and something for everyone to enjoy -- the music and vibe inside was a nice mix of busy yet intimate, it's a great place for a date or fancy night out What didn't work: -- I think this is likely due to it being Valentines Day, but the service was pretty spotty. Servers almost gave us someone else's food twice and it took a while for our food to get to our table. -- my dish (shrimp primavera) could have had a little more going for it! The pasta and veggies could have been a little more seasoned (and I would have loved more veggies), and the shrimp was waaaaay too salty, it was difficult to eat it all. It definitely wasn't a bad dish but a few small tweaks could have made it really wonderful Overall, I'd come here again! I think this might have just been an off night and I'd love to return to try some of their other dishes. The environment was a pleasant one to be in and I enjoyed the meal (and, of course, the company).

The food wasn't the greatest but the drinks were good…read more The happy hour deals were enticing and the covered menu included a variety of appetizers and beverages. Unfortunately their specialty cocktails weren't included but they were reasonably priced regardless. *Artichoke, Spinach, and Cheese Dip: had a grainy, chunky texture made predominantly from the artichoke. There needed a better mixer and creamy element. The flavors resembled a thick pesto. The toasted bread was the best part. *Spicy Calamari: nicely fried but a tad too salty. Would have appreciated a lemony component to cut through the grease. *Garlic Fries: thicker cut with slight crisp. They were garlicky but the Parmesan left a strange aftertaste. *Green Tea Shot: pleasantly fruity and the pour was generous. The service was friendly and we look forward to when they'll hold music nights again. Ultimately the drinks tasted better than the food. Although not perfect, the pricing makes Sebby's the ideal post work spot. I hope Sebby's hones in their flavors and textures they're aiming for so then people can come for the food too.

We spent several days in Bakersfield and loved it. We wanted to have one last meal there so this…read moretime we went with Italian at Uricchio's Trattoria. We loved it so much, not only did we dine there, we ordered a bunch of food to go and drove it home to heat up and eat the next day. The next day food was just as great as when we ate there. It just has wonderful dishes. Founder by Nick Uricchio, and his son Steve they opened Uricchio's Trattoria, clearly a family affair. Sadly, Nick died some time ago. He was the nicest guy and always had a smile on his face. His nick name was Papa Nick. He always said hello to the customers and was just a doll. Go in his honor. It is just as great as when Nick was there. Steve is usually there to greet you and he is wonderful. Uricchio's Trattoria offers a great selection of appetizers, soups (a must) and entrees to satisfy anyone. They have fresh seasonal dishes prepared with care from Executive Chef Raphael Hernandez who has been there forever I think. Parking is easy. Make a reservation, you want to do that. It gets crowded. We have been there without one before and loved sitting at the bar and eating. Anything with shrimp is great. All of their pastas are great. We loved their spaghetti and meat balls. Their vegetables are made right. They don't consider it something just to toss on your plate. They are al dente and so great. Their Linguini pasta with shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a tomato basil marinara sauce is my favorite and they have the best salads and desserts. It is a must stop in Bakersfield. The place is beautiful.

This review actually breaks my heart to write this. I LOVED…read moreuricchios. I owned a downtown salon and would recommend my clients and friends to go there for dinner. My husband and I did date night there often when we were dating. The owners were so sweet and knew of Me. I moved out of Bakersfield 6 years ago. I was visiting my parents in Bakersfield two weeks ago who had never been to uricchios and I couldn't wait to take them to dinner there! I called ahead the day before and made reservations for myself, my mom and dad, and my husband. We sat down and the place was empty on a Saturday, just a couple tables occupied. My mom ordered a Cesar salad and it was warm! We waited an hour and 15 minutes and our food never came out. No one came and gave us an update but we kept getting sent numerous appetizers "on the house". Sodas were watered down. Bread was mediocre. Finally after an hour and 15 minutes we got up and left. Whatever was happening in the kitchen was not a good sign! They appeared to be struggling despite being not busy at all. I have never been more disappointed in a restaurant, my husband and I had to get in n out on the grapevine for dinner. I was so embarrassed that I even recommended for my family and my husband to do a dinner at uricchios, much less RAVED about it. I'm so sad what has happened to my favorite bakersfield restaurant, but all good things come to an end. I won't ever be back

We were advised by friends to go here for dinner while passing through Bakersfield. Best advice…read moreever!!! Upon arriving the staff was welcoming. The food was better than Mom's--don't tell her. Our waiter Stephanie was great. We had such a great time we made reservations for our return trip. This time we were blessed to have Andrew as our waiter/bartender. He was the absolute best!!! Great entertainer, host, and waiter. Oh yeah, the food was great again. This is our go to now whenever we pass through Bakersfield. Just for info we need a Frugatti's in Santa Rosa. Absolutely the best!!!! Well deserved 5 star.

I am writing to share my disappointment with a recent experience at Frugatti's. I chose your…read morerestaurant for my birthday dinner with a friend because I was hoping to enjoy a special evening. When we arrived, the hostess asked whether we were celebrating a special occasion. After I told her it was my birthday, she asked if I would like our server to know. I happily said yes because it was a special day. Unfortunately, the service and food did not meet our expectations. It took nearly 20 minutes to receive water and soda. Although bread was brought to the table, we had nothing to drink with it. My soup was cold, and my soda was overly syrupy and sweet. When our entrées arrived, I did not have a fork. Because our server never returned to check on us, getting one was unnecessarily difficult. My friend also wanted Parmesan cheese to add flavor to her pasta, but we eventually had to ask another waitress because our server did not come back. Our drinks were never refilled, and no one checked to see whether we were enjoying our meals or needed anything. What made the experience especially disappointing was that no one acknowledged my birthday, even though we heard other guests being celebrated at nearby tables. It also took a long time to receive our check, and by that point, the interaction felt rushed and forced, as though the staff simply wanted us to leave. I understand that restaurants can become busy and that an occasional delay may happen. However, the combination of slow and inattentive service, cold food, missing utensils, and the lack of any birthday acknowledgment made this a particularly disappointing way to spend my birthday. We genuinely miss the quality of the food and service we experienced at the previous location. I hope you will take this feedback seriously so that future guests--especially those choosing Frugatti's for a special occasion--receive the warm and attentive experience they expect.

This place continues to impress us! The Alfredo Di Buffala has officially become one of our go-to…read morefavorites, and the Gambas al Ajillo is another dish we keep coming back for. The shrimp added to the Alfredo was phenomenal. Everything was prepared perfectly, the shrimp was fresh, flavorful, and seasoned just right. You can really tell that care goes into every dish. The staff is always on point and super friendly. They're attentive, welcoming, and seem to know what we need before we even have to ask. Every visit has been a great experience. We'll definitely keep coming back!

Romantic environment and amazing service in the basement…read more THANK YOU Bistro Di zBufalo 200% recommend it!

We were in the area and realized it would be better to stop and have dinner before returning to…read moreBakersfield. We love the Rosa's in Bakersfield, so we took it as a sign this restaurant would be just as good. Come to find out, the owners are related and they all thought it would be a good idea to name their restaurants after their grandmother, Rosa. They are also related to the Rosa's in Pismo. Luigi is the owner in Visalia and he takes great pride in his Rosa's. We came on a night where some things were not working as expected; however, Luigi was all over taking care of everything. He was honest about what was going on. As a diner, that allows me to have more grace than if I were sitting there trying to figure out what was happening. There is nothing that should keep you from having a great meal at Rosa's because the owner and staff will be tending to every detail to make it a great night out. I really like the layout of the restaurant. There is a lot of seating. You can come on your own or with a large group. There is a bar with individual seating in the back. The food was what we expected. We shared a plate of veal and chose the pasta with Alfredo sauce. It was very good and I am glad we chose to split the meal. The bread they bring to the table was perfect and I loved it. We overdid it a little by also ordering the cheesy bread, but it was just too good. We had a nice conversation with the owner as we were leaving and look forward to visiting again.

Well, this used to be my favorite Italian restaurant. I DoorDashed their lasagna a few months ago…read moreand it arrived with meat sauce after I requested no meat. Last weekend I placed the same order and it arrived not only with meat, but the ricotta inside was creamy, cold and flavorless. It wasn't baked correctly and the ricotta wasn't fluffy and delicious like I remember it being in their usual lasagna. I didn't even eat half and threw it away.

First off it's not even calzone life it's a pizza guy business so yeah but since I've never eaten…read moreat one I figured I would give it a shot the pizza was pretty good a little expensive 20 bucks for a medium pretty much the same as a round table not sure if the quality was the same not greasy which is a definite plus would go there again in a pinch but was really wanting a calzone and considering you get 2 toppings for free then they start charging you for each one after that a calzone from there could get expensive super quick

Delicious and the latticed top like a strudel makes it a perfect amount of dough to fillings. The…read moreMonterey we will try again. Delicious.