Your Guide to Basquing in the Old West
What are the best restaurants for authentic Basque cuisine?
- By Aviva Shen
- Smithsonian.com, March 22, 2012, Subscribe
Central California
The California gold rush brought the first Basque immigrants to the United States in the 1840s. After the gold dried up, many of their descendants stayed in the Central Valley region, turning to the more stable professions of ranching and sheepherding. The modern community is tight-knit and proud of their heritage; the Kern County Basque Club throws one of California’s largest Basque festivals every year in an exhibition of traditional dances, pelota (Basque handball) matches and music by bands who travel from the home country.
But, as you might expect, the most powerful cultural marker of the community is the cuisine. Bakersfield is the capital of American Basque, touting one of the largest cluster of Basque restaurants in the country. Ever since the oldest, Noriega Hotel, opened its doors in 1893, generations of exhausted sheepherders have flocked to the worn, pioneer-chic warehouse for a hearty family-style dinner, crammed side-by-side at the long communal tables. There may be a few non-native culinary tourists in the mix, drawn by Noriega’s 2011 James Beard Classic Award. If it’s not too busy, Wool Growers is another bright spot, literally and figuratively: watch for the attention-grabbing neon sign out front, walk in, and be instantly greeted by one of the members of the Maitia family—“the royalty of Bakersfield’s restaurant dynasty families,” according to Bakersfield Magazine—who have been running the restaurant since J.B. and Mayie Maitia launched it in 1954.
Wool Growers Restaurant
620 E 19th St
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 327-9584
Noriega Hotel
525 Sumner St
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 322-8419
Pyrenees Café
601 Sumner St
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 323-0053
Benji’s French Basque Restaurant
4001 Rosedale Hwy
Bakersfield, CA 93308
(661) 328-0400
The Landmark
644 E Olive Ave
Fresno, CA 93728
(559) 233-6505
Pacific Northwest
One in ten Boise residents have some Basque blood in them, which explains how very Basque Idahoan culture is. The Columbia River Basin, which includes eastern Oregon and Idaho, became a popular destination for shepherds and ranchers migrating from California in the late 19th century. Much of the community sprawled out over secluded ranches and farms, but Boise offers a concentrated dose of Basque culture for locals and enthusiasts alike. It’s worth a trip to stroll through the downtown “Basque Block,” a single block lined with three Basque restaurants, the Biotzetik Basque Choir, cultural centers, a Basque market, two dance companies and a music school. And since 1992, Boise can also boast a sister city relationship with Gernika, a city in the Spanish Biskaia (Biscay) province (from where almost all Idahoan Basque originate).
The standout restaurant of the region, Epi’s, is a bit of a trek from downtown Boise’s trendier eateries. The quaint remodeled bungalow in nearby Meridian is known for its intimacy and its almost excessively warm staff; as Boise Weekly describes it, “It was like having dinner at mom's.” Unlike some of the more traditional Basque eateries, Epi’s allows guests to order individual dishes from a menu—highlights include the calamari, ham croquetas and the baked cod.
Leku Ona
117 S. 6th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-345-6665
Epi’s Basque Restaurant
1115 N Main St
Meridian, ID 83642
(208) 884-0142
Old Basque Inn
306 Wroten Street
Jordan Valley, OR 97910
(541) 586-2800
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Comments (5)
I have been to almost every Basque restaurant in the Western United States. Yeah, they're all pretty good, but the restaurants in Elko are by far some of the best I have had in my travels. Whenever I drive through Elko, I definitely have to stop and get a fat steak. Mind you, I avoid meat quite often, but not in Elko.
Posted by Hell-N on April 7,2012 | 10:30 PM
For years (lots of them!!) we've been going to Noriega's Hotel whenever we're in Bakersfield. I know Woolgrowers' is good too, but Noriega's is such a family tradition, we keep going back - for the pickled tongue, the camradarie of other diners. Once I said to my table mate "when I first came here, we paid $2.50 for dinner". He one-upped me, saying when he first came, he paid 50c! It's a bit more than that now, but still a good value.
Posted by Wena Dows on April 6,2012 | 07:32 PM
don't forget Winnemucca, Nevada - several good places to get Basque Food!
Posted by mark on April 4,2012 | 05:08 PM
No trip to visit my hometown of Reno is complete without dinner at the Hotel Santa Fe, in downtown. As a youngster, then teenager, one of the forbidden pleasures I yearned for most was to be old enough to stand at the Santa Fe bar and order a Picon Punch, like all the men got to do. My first legal drink there was worth the wait, though the bitter undertones of the Picon Punch are something I have grown into with age. And the food is great. Simple, hearty, well-executed, and made better by the communal table where one gets to chat with strangers while passing the soup tureen. This is not overly-refined, fancy food, but something an old friend calls, "lucky ranch hand cuisine." It is my favorite of the Northern Nevada Basque restaurants, though I cannot wait to try some of the Bakersfield places mentioned in the article.
Posted by jon early on March 28,2012 | 06:08 PM
The best Basque restaurant I've found, out of a half dozen or more, is Shepherd's Inn, across the street from the Amtrak Stateion in Fresno, CA. Excellent seven course traditional Basque lunch: great soups and bread, Garlic Chicken, great steaks and seafood, and, of course, lamb. Friendly service and fresh food. Having moved back to Colorado, we really miss our weekday lunches.
Posted by Brian Phillips on March 27,2012 | 12:33 PM