Steak With A Side of River

Written by Mike Stepanovich

It’s a beautiful Kern County autumn afternoon—blue skies, warm temperatures, light breeze.

Greenhorn Summit is in the distance, the southern Sierra Nevada beckons. perfection.

So, too, does a good steak dinner, and if a scenic drive in the mountains coupled with a fine dining experience sounds like a good way to spend a weekend day, then set your sights Ewing’s on the Kern restaurant in Kernville. The scenic ride, the river view, and the hearty meal are three great reasons to go.

My wife, Carol, and I did just that recently, and were reminded of just how beautiful our county is. We hadn’t been to Ewing’s in quite awhile, and decided it would make a good place to dine after a drive up the canyon.

Ewing’s on the Kern is about 55 miles from downtown Bakersfield. Head east on Highway 178, through the Kern River Canyon, turn left over Isabella Dam, and follow the road to Kernville. On a recent Sunday afternoon, it was delightful. We were in no hurry, so the 14-mile stretch of switchbacks through the canyon wasn’t as daunting as if we had a schedule to keep. The road has plenty of turnouts, and we used them frequently to allow those who were in a hurry to pass.

Once you leave Bakersfield, the pace definitely slows, and not just because of the road (some hairpin turns are 15 mph). You sense life is a little more relaxed. The river rushes by on the left, the mountainsides rise steeply upward, and in less than half an hour you’ve gone from Bakersfield’s hustle-bustle to a pastoral setting that’s calming and serene.

Driving up the west side of Lake Isabella is also beautiful, nestled in a valley as it is, spreading north and east. And when you arrive in Kernville, at the north end of the lake, you sense that Bakersfield could be a thousand miles away, it’s that quiet and relaxing.

We found Ewing’s at 125 Buena Vista Drive on the east bank of the Kern River. The rustic restaurant could not be on a better-named street. The view from the dining room, perched above the river, is indeed beautiful. You’re looking down on the river, and as you look north, you can see the river winding its way down from its headwaters on Mount Whitney through the Sierra Nevada before flowing into Lake Isabella. The mountains rise straight up to the west. There’s no air pollution here; the air is pristine.

The restaurant’s entryway has a huge blade from a sawmill attached to the wall, on which the restaurant’s name is painted. Once inside, if you can shift your gaze from the beautiful view, you sense you’re in a mountain lodge with knotty pine walls and plenty of windows. On the right as you enter is the bar. The day we visited a couple of locals were quenching their thirst while watching an NFL game on one of the TV sets in the bar.

A jukebox provided a good beat. A couple other guys came in, apparently friends of the first two. One of them must have liked The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” because we heard it twice before we left.

Ceiling fans with soft lights created a nice ambience, as did the white-tablecloth-draped tables with glass tops.

Two young women were running the place on a slow Sunday, along with a couple of young men in the kitchen. One of the women, Kaitie Holland, cheerfully welcomed us to the restaurant and took our beverage orders.

Kaitie, is a local, and has worked at Ewing’s two and a half years. She leads a bit of a nomadic life: in addition to working at Ewing’s and another job in Kernville, she lives in Bakersfield, and also attends Taft College.

Autumn is typically slow, she said: “It’s seasonal here. The summers are busy, but in the fall it tails off. We get a lot of tourists in the summer—people from LA, Orange County types. People from Bakersfield drive up for dinner, plus we have a local clientele.”

We asked for her recommendations, and she said her favorites were the filet mignon and the prime rib.

Since it was an hour and twenty-minute drive to Ewing’s, we were in no rush, so we decided to begin our meal with some appetizers. But what a list to choose from! We found a number of things we liked: mozzarella cheese sticks ($7.95), buffalo wings ($9.95), jalapeno poppers ($7.95), fried zucchini ($7.95). Then we noticed that you can try all of those on the Party Platter, for $13.95. Kaitie said, coming right up! (We were also curious about the lemon-peppered calamari for $12.95 but decided to save that for a future visit.)

When the platter arrived it also included French fries and sweet-potato fries, plus ranch dressing and hot sauce for dipping. We had a hard time deciding which was our favorite because they were all good, but in the end we wound up flipping for the last popper, so I guess that must have been it (we took the rest home with us and enjoyed them the next day).

Carol took Kaitie’s advice and ordered prime rib. Two cuts are available: a 12-ounce cut for $21.95, and the 16-ounce “King’s cut” for $25.95. Carol loves prime rib and often orders the larger cut so she can enjoy it the next day, so she chose the King’s cut. To say it was 16 ounces is an understatement; this slab of meat was more like 20-24 ounces. She also likes her prime rib very rare. No problem at Ewing’s; it was done perfectly.

While the filet mignon was tempting—three cuts are available: 6, 12 and 16 ounces—I was drawn to the New York pepper steak ($21.95 for a 12-ounce cut). I love a classic pepper steak, smothered in cracked peppercorns and a brandy cream sauce. This one was worth the drive. It was a beautiful cut of meat, done to a perfect medium rare, and the sauce was splendid! I couldn’t have been happier.

Steamed broccoli and cauliflower accompanied our entrees, along with our choice of potato—baked for Carol and garlic mashed for me.

You also get your choice of soup or salad with your entrees. Carol opted for the salad, and was impressed by its freshness and the bleu cheese dressing. I chose the soup, a thick, rich chicken noodle, with macaroni and carrots, and a garlic-sage flavor.

The dishes were attractive and worth noting; our bread plates were square white, while our dinner plates were curved rectangular. Good steak knives were provided as well.

The wine list is serviceable, but due to the pending drive back I opted for coffee instead.

And don’t miss the desserts. Kaitie was kind enough to box a couple up for us, which we enjoyed once we got home. The cheesecake ($5.95) is made at the restaurant and had excellent texture and flavor. I don’t know where they get their carrot cake ($5.95), but it is simply divine!

Ewing’s also has baby-back pork ribs ($27.95 for a full rack, $18.95 for a half), and a couple of good-looking burgers: the third-pound Ewing’s cheeseburger for $10.95, or a three-quarter-pound monster for $14.95. The burgers and sandwiches include fries.

Ewing’s on the Kern is open daily 4 to 9 p.m., and accepts most major credit cards. For reservations, call (760) 376-2411.

Article appeared in our 28-5 Issue - December 2011