Past Dining Divas
Most recent Dining Divas: Sofia Ronquillo, Sofie Zimmermann, Kim Jessup, Robin Noble and Lois Henry. Cheesecake chimichangas
Rice and beans Child, but I think it was the cilantro that made this so good. On the side there were black beans (very tasty), a green salad and Yucatan rice. The worst thing about this dish was that it was served toward the end of the sequence, so I couldn’t eat as much of it as I would have liked. Amanda on the vista del mar (translation: View of the ocean): Although this wasn’t something I would typically order, I was pleasantly surprised by this sumptuous seafood offering. It had just the right touch of butter, garlic and white cream sauce, complemented by shrimp, halibut steak and crab. It was rich, but not so much so that I didn’t enjoy all the flavors. Grilled
bell peppers rounded out the mixture, giving me a sense I was eating on the healthy side. Amanda on chicken tiritas: Another dish that was a must-try was chicken tiritas — fajitas with a twist. It consisted of chicken strips with sauteed squash, zucchini, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes. It included Mexican rice, refried beans, fresh guacamole and sour cream. Flour and/or corn tortillas served on the side. For dessert, we sampled the cheesecake chimichanga and the deepfried ice cream. Both were tasty treats, but the cheesecake was especially decadent. As Lisa put it, “OMG! It was wonderful and divine!” We should also mention that halfway through our meal, our gracious hosts served us the most scrumptious sangria. It was not too strong, yet had just enough punch to make it memorable. It went well with all of the dishes and added an interesting flare. All of the Divas decided this would be their perfect meal at La Mina: a cucumber Bloody Mary, the shrimp platter appetizer (with an emphasis on the shrimp nachos), the shrimp mignon and the cheesecake chimichanga for dessert. And if we could have the three Ruiz brothers as our waiters —the night would be more than perfect!
Dining Divas, second generation: Whitney Rector, Lori Ritchie, Aimee Williamson and Wendy Horack.
The original Dining Divas: Tracy Walker Kiser, Katie Kirschenmann, Lydia Rowles and Penny Rafferty. bakersfieldlife.com
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