BY PETE TITTLContributing columnist

e-mail: ptittl@bakersfield.com

As Bakersfield has grownas a city, and with allthe new restaurants

popping up that people wantto read about, some of the oldstandbys get neglected. Irecently discovered I hadn’twritten about Benji’s FrenchBasque restaurant in this col-umn since late 2004, thoughI’ve visited the restaurantowned by Bernard and ReneArduain since then and it’s aregular in my yearly Top 10Fine Dining recommenda-tions. So it’s not that I didn’t

realize how good this place is;I just wasn’t shining a spot-light on it. But, then, with sucha rabid following, maybethere’s little need for my voiceto join the chorus. We werelucky to get a parking spotoutside, the bar was full andthere were exactly two emptytables when we arrived. Iwouldn’t go without reserva-tions on a weekend night.

The restaurant has contin-ued to evolve and grow since Ilast devoted a column to it,especially in the area of itsdessert soufflés. I hate tosound like that’s the primaryreason to visit, but so fewrestaurants in town botherwith these airy, eggy creationsthat it can’t help but be amajor draw. I remember in the

Thomas called. By the close of the conver-sation, we ended up where we wanted tobe at the beginning. Conversations can

be like that. Especially when the subject is asslippery as the one we tried to tackle and theremay be none more elusive.

“Dad, I don’t understand women,” he said.This subject hadn’t come out of the blue. Ear-

lier in the conversation, he mentioned a girl,one with whom he had spent time. I hadn’twanted to prod. If he had wanted to tell me, hewould have. Parents want to know, and theydon’t.

The only thing harder to get a fix on otherthan women are one’s children’s sweethearts.One minute, they’re in and the next they’re out.Better to stay ignorant and blissful.

Thomas didn’t understand women? He hadcalled the right man, and he hadn’t. If he waslooking for camaraderie, I was in. If he wantedinsight, I was out.

Thomas had company. The men who didn’tunderstand women extended to the ends of theearth and the beginning of time. We are con-fused but hopeful. Maybe, one day.

Maybe not. Therein lies the 11th command-ment. Thou shalt not understand women nomatter how long thou shall live. Perhaps that ispart of their charm.

Since I might not be the man for the job, howabout if I were to make a referral? That madesense, except the list of referrals was short. Nextto No. 1, there were a series of erase marks.There was no No. 2.

When your son says he doesn’t understandwomen, the thing you don’t want

to do is to use his mother andyour wife as Exhibit A. It’stempting because ExhibitA is close, and there have

Sunday, January 16, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian D1

BY DIANNE HARDISTYContributing writer

dhardisty@bak.rr.com

The economy had slammedthe county’s budget. Tax dol-lars could barely be stretchedto pay for essential services,

let alone operate the museum. Super-visors were preparing to cut the muse-um’s staff and reduce operating hoursto three days a week.

Sound familiar? That scenario coulddescribe Kern County and itsdecades-old museum on ChesterAvenue. Instead, it’s a summary of lastsummer’s struggle to keep the Her-itage Farm Museum in Sterling, Va.,from closing.

“We weren’t going to let that hap-pen,” said Su Webb, president ofLoudoun Heritage Farm Museum Inc.,a nonprofit organization that has tak-en over operation of the museum. “Wedecided it was time for us to step up.”

Will Kern County follow that exam-ple? The first step in determing thefuture of the troubled county-ownedlandmark will come at the museumJan. 29 during a brainstorming ses-sion whose purpose is to collect ideasfrom the community. Mary Beth Gar-rison will facilitate the meeting.

“Everyone involved is committed tokeeping the museum open and mak-ing it financially strong, functionaland educational,” said Beth Pandol,chairwoman of the Museum Authori-ty Board and a member of the Muse-um Foundation Board.

This pivotal juncture in the muse-

um’s long history was prompted latelast year when the Superintendent ofSchools office, which operates thecompound, notified the county itwanted to end its administration ofthe museum. County supervisors andSuperintendent of Schools ChristineFrazier are developing a plan to keepthe doors open at the Kern CountyMuseum, which includes Pioneer Vil-lage. They hope to find a nonprofit

organization to take over the muse-um’s operation.

Calling all movers and shakersWhatever course the parties decide

on, they have plenty of models to con-sider. In Sterling, Va., movers andshakers in the community, particular-ly those associated with the agricul-ture industry, negotiated anagreement with the county to operatethe county-owned museum. Countystaff, who once ran the museum, wereinvited to apply for jobs with the newnonprofit operators.

Christie Love, who coordinates visi-tor services, is one of two formercounty employees hired by the newoperator. While they no longer receivethe benefits enjoyed by county work-

Other museums mayshow ours the way

BY BETH PANDOLContributing writer

As is often the case, Abe Hays’ love for theWest actually began in the East.

Raised in Pittsburgh, the avid art collector stillremembers the moment 75 years ago when hismother read him acowboy story byWestern author andartist Will James.That’s all it took. Hisfascination beganand, to this day,hasn’t let up for thefeisty 80-year-old.

Now a resident ofParadise, Ariz., Hayshas been collectingWestern art andartifacts since hewas a young boy. In 1935, a family trip to afriend’s northern Arizona ranch further encour-aged his focus on the West so that as a teenager,he began collecting pieces that he could afford,such as literature and prints.

“That introduction by my mother, who alsotook me to many museums of all kinds, beganmy interest in Western history and art,” Hayssaid in a phone interview Friday from Scotts-dale, Ariz.

Hays’ stunning collection of the work of May-nard Dixon, a master of Western art, is currentlyon display at the Bakersfield Museum of Art.Hays, considered a foremost expert on Dixon’swork, will speak about the pieces at the muse-um on Thursday.

“I think that the American West is unique in

Collector toshare lifelonglove of West

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM

A demonstration dairy barn is one of the many exhibits at the Heritage FarmMuseum in Sterling, Va. Facing possible closure, the museum is now being op-erated by a nonprofit organization.

FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN

The souffles at Benji's French-Basque restaurant: chocolate inthe front with the Grand Marnier at the rear.

Please see MUSEUM / D7

Eye StreetEye StreetLifestyles editor Jennifer Self || Phone 395-7434 || e-mail jself@bakersfield.com

These are Herb Benham’sopinions, and not necessarily

The Californian’s. His column

appears Tuesday, Friday and

Sunday. Call him at 395-7279or write hbenham@

bakersfield .com.

Herb BenhamCALIFORNIAN COLUMNIST

Understandwomen? Don’tlook to me

Please see BENHAM / D2

Please see HAYS / D2

PHOTO COURTESY OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM

Fossils are among the many exhibits at the Milwaukee Public Museum, which entices record-breaking visitor turnoutsthrough traveling blockbuster exhibits and special events.

Kern museum to seekideas at Jan. 29 event

These souffles will lift your spiritsDining Out

At Benji’s, saveroom for dessert

Please see DINING OUT / D5

Save Kern County’s MuseumWhat: Brainstorming session open

to the public

When: 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 29

Where: Kern County Museum,

Main Gallery, 3801 Chester Ave.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAKERSFIELDMUSEUM OF ART

Maynard Dixon’s “Walls ofWalpi” dates to 1923.

Sunday, January 16, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian D5

early days of Benji’s that wesometimes visited when thekitchen was too busy tobother with these specialdesserts, even if you placedyour order at the same timethat you selected yourentrée. Now the menu hasGran Marnier, raspberry,chocolate and lemon at$5.75 a person. Heck theyeven make baked Alaska($4.50 a person). My son hadno clue what that even was.It’s a generational thing, as itwas so popular in the 1950swhen people thought flam-ing desserts was the greatestthing since TV dinners.

Anyway, let’s reverse theorder of our meal and goright to the soufflés. Thoughthey all sounded tempting,of course we ordered thechocolate, if only to get thatcreamy, light chocolatesauce that our waitresspoured into the center andleft on the table for moreself-garnishment. I’ll behonest with you. If you’re ona New Year’s diet, don’t go ifyou can’t resist this. You’ll seethem at other people’s tablesand all your willpower willcollapse like a soufflé gettinghit with a sharp knife. Benji’sknows how to make soufflés,and some day I’ll work upthe courage to try the rasp-berry. I’m sure it’s great.

The restaurant, celebratingits 25th anniversary this year,has many other reasons torecommend it.

If you’re used to the otherBasque restaurants in town,what you can expect fromBenji’s is a bit more gracefulproduct, particularly in thesauces, which I think canstand up to Valentien, T.L.Maxwell’s, The Bistro and theother high-end restaurantsin town.

On our visit we ordered thebeef ravioli ($17.75), the rackof lamb with garlic potatoes($24) and the filet mignonwith pepper cognac sauce($24.75).

Everything was great. Thesix large beef ravioli werepresented with a serviceabletomato sauce. The meatused for the steak was fine,but that dark cognac sauce

was just begging to besopped up with bread. Andthe garlic potatoes (panfried) deserved to sharebilling with the rack of lamb,which was prepared simplybut with the perfect amountof garlic.

Another distinctive thingabout Benji’s is that theyserve items a lot of otherplaces don’t, such as pan-

fried frog legs, roast duckand sweetbreads. The menuhas the typical assortment ofsteak, chicken and salmon,but for the more adventur-ous, Benji’s is the place. Ifyou like veal, try the versionhere with mushroom sauce.

The Basque setup (soup,beans, salsa, French bread,pickled tongue, tossed salad,green beans, fresh tomatoestossed with onions, Frenchfries) compares favorablywith what other restaurantsin town serve. Not particu-

larly distinctive, but I had nocomplaints there. The mostnoteworthy difference wasthe oil and vinegar dressingon the salad and pickledtongue had a creamier stylethan its competitors use.

We didn’t get a wine listand were not enthusedabout the slim pickings onthe wine by the glass list. Ifthat’s all that’s available, it’s acurious mismatch consider-ing the quality of what thekitchen produces.

Service was really solid. We

had a veteran waitress whohad an Old Country accentand I imagine if I were pass-ing through Bakersfield andpulled off the freeway to visitBenji’s, I’d find that quitecharming. She was a profes-sional who was mostlystunned that my son hadnever tried pickled tonguebefore. I paid him a buck tosample it, so that’s done now.

Benji’s French BasqueRestaurant can be recom-mended for a fine diningexperience.

CONTINUED FROM D1

DINING OUT: Not many restaurants in town take the time to create souffles

4001 Rosedale Highway

328-0400

Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2

p.m. Monday and

Wednesday-Saturday;

closed on Tuesdays. Dinner

5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday-

Monday and Wednesday-

Thursday and 4:30-9:30

p.m. Friday and Saturday,

closed on Tuesdays.

Reservations

recommended.

Prices: Appetizers $6-$10,

Basque set up $12.75,

entrees $17.75-$24.75.

Child’s plate $6-$9.

Payment: MasterCard,

VISA, American Express

and Discover accepted.

Personal checks not

accepted.

Dress: Casually dressy.

Amenities: Wheelchair

accessible; full bar service;

some vegetarian options.

Food: ★★★★

Atmosphere: ★★★

Service: ★★★

Value: ★★★

Next Week: Mountain Mike’s Pizza

BENJI’S FRENCH BASQUE RESTAURANT

FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN

Better hurry. There are not many seats left as the dinner crowd starts to fill in the dining area at Benji's French-Basque Restaurant on Rosedale Highway.

The Arduain brothers of Benji's French-Basque Restaurant.That's Benji on the left with brother Rene.

At Benji's French-BasqueRestaurant, the food justkeeps coming! After thesoup, beans, French breadand salsa, here comes thegreen salad, marinatedtomatoes, and pickledtongue. And you have theentree yet to come withfries and vegetables.

One of the must-have dishesat Benji's French-BasqueRestaurant is the broiledlamb chops.