My whole life, I have been a fan of Basque food. Any family get-together or birthday, Wool Growers has always been the place of interest.
Many local residents have already discovered this sometimes unknown jewel of our city. Lunch, dinner or just to grab some drinks, this is definitely the place to be.
Basque food can be described as a country-French food. The region around southern France and northern Spain is where the food was originally derived. Typically, Basque food has more of a fish content when eaten in Spain at the coastline.
In 1954, Mayie and J.B. Maitia opened their own Basque restaurant, after working at other local eateries, Pyrenees and Noriega’s. To this day, Mayie and her children Jenny and Daniel are still running the business.
Jenny Maitia-Poncetta, co-owner and manager of Wool Growers, explains the family restaurant as a unique, fun place to be.
“There’s local people, a local presence; it’s a fun atmosphere,” Maitia-Poncetta said. “It’s more of a social gathering.”
J.B. Maitia was a sheepherder, hence the name Wool Growers. To keep in the spirit, the family specialty is lamb. Maitia-Poncetta said that her favorite menu item is the Ox Tail Stew and the Shrimp Scampi.
Lunch and dinner is served with the set-up, which is Basque soup with pink beans and hot salsa, salad, marinated tomatoes, pickled tongue, fries, spaghetti, and a vegetable. The lunch menu includes a special of the day and sandwiches. Dinner comes with the set-up and a choice of meat. My personal favorite is the soup and pickled tongue. The entire menu is family recipes including some things that Mayie and J.B. have learned from working at other restaurants.
From the menu, to the location, everything about Wool Growers is local, family and makes you feel at home. Mayie said that she has seen up to five generations of families come to the restaurant. Three of the cooks have been there for over 30 years, and numerous waitresses have been at Wool Growers for 20 years.
Maitia-Poncetta plans to keep her parents’ tradition alive and well.
“Some people want me to change by doing things different,” Maitia-Poncetta said, “But we’d lose our ambience and old-time Bakersfield.”
Although it may not be located in metro Bakersfield, it’s all about keeping the tradition.
“This is where my parents started, and I want to keep it here,” Maitia-Poncetta said.
Wool Growers is open Monday through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner. They are located at 620 E. 19th St. Reservations can be made by calling 327-9584.