Noriega Hotel
| Noriega Hotel | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1893 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Current owner(s) | Elizalde family |
| Food type | Basque cuisine with American influences |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Street address | 525 Sumner |
| City | Bakersfield |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 93305 |
| Country | United States |
| Seating capacity | 120 |
| Reservations | yes |
| Website | web |
Noriega Hotel, formerly known as Iberia Hotel, and commonly known as Noriega's, was a Basque and American restaurant, Boarding house and cultural center located in East Bakersfield, California. The business opened in 1893 and was a staple of the Basque American culture in Bakersfield and California at large for generations, but was forced to close in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The future of the business is unknown.
History
Faustino Noriega immigrated to the United States from Santander, Spain in 1872 as a sheepherder. In 1893, he partnered with Fernando Etchevarry, a Basque immigrant, to open the "Iberia Hotel".
The building served as a boardinghouse, post office, employment center, restaurant, and community center for Basques who often only spoke the Basque language. Noriega's is located two blocks from the former Southern Pacific Station, where many immigrants had arrived from Ellis Island only with a lapel that said "Noriega Hotel Bakersfield, California".
In 1906, the name changed from Iberia Hotel to Noriega Hotel.
In 1931, the Elizalde family bought the property. [1]
In 1940, the current restaurant and portion of the building was added, and was opened to the public.[2]
In 2011, the restaurant won the James Beard award.
Over the years, Noriega's has welcomed generations of people, Basque and otherwise, through their doors. They faithfully maintained their presence in East Bakersfield as an icon of Basque culture and the development of Kern County. They were the last Basque boardinghouse in Kern County.
In March 2020, the restaurant temporarily closed due to the difficulty of social distancing with family-style dining. In April 2020, the restaurant announced they would not reopen, triggering an outpouring of grief from the Basque community and the public at large[3]. Noriega's has been featured in Huell Howser's California's Gold, LA Times, NY Times, and Smithsonian Magazine.
The future of the building and the brand is unknown, but it may reopen in the future[4]
Cuisine
The restaurant serves a mixture of traditional Basque cuisine and more modern American cuisine. Food is served family style at set times, 7am for breakfast, noon for lunch, and 7pm for dinner. The front of the restaurant contains a bar, open until about 10pm. Meals are served in the dining room in the back.
Awards and accolades
In 2011, the restaurant received the James Beard award, the American Classic Award.[5]. This award is given to "given to restaurants with timeless appeal, beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their community"[6]
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 466: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 466: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Official website
- http://oldtownkern.com/places/businesses/hotels/noriega-hotel/
- https://www.visitbakersfield.com/directory/noriega-hotel-restaurant/
Category:Restaurants in California
Category:Defunct restaurants based in California
Category:Bakersfield, California
Category:Basque
Category:Companies based in Kern County, California
Category:Basque-American culture in California
Category:Tourist attractions in California
Category:Restaurants established in 1940
Category:1940 establishments in California
Category:James Beard Foundation Award winners
References
Noriega Hotel
This article "Noriega Hotel" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Noriega Hotel. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
|
This page exists already on Wikipedia. |
- ↑ {cite book |last1=Bass |first1=Stephen |last2=Ansolabehere |first2= George |date=2012 |title=The Basques of Kern County |publisher=Castle Printing Group |isbn=0615646689 |page=53-67}}
- ↑ https://www.bakersfield.com/bakersfield-life/noriega-hotel-a-pivotal-center-of-bakersfields-basque-community/article_b4a508f3-e23f-56c9-a0d6-1a50d3d233c4.html
- ↑ https://www.bakersfield.com/news/noriega-hotel-will-not-reopen-signaling-the-end-of-bakersfield-as-we-know-it/article_85945aae-8692-11ea-bcb6-038a37330393.html
- ↑ https://www.bakersfield.com/news/noriega-hotel-will-reopen-under-new-ownership-at-new-location/article_bb99b41c-b1b9-11ea-a4db-cf7f605dbf06.html
- ↑ https://euskalkazeta.com/bakersfields-noriega-hotel-wins-prestigious-james-beard-foundation-award/
- ↑ https://www.eater.com/2011/3/10/6692955/jbf-announces-2011-americas-classics-award-honorees
