Northwest Edition Episode 7
Activities Kristin Zaben September 8, 2026
Activities Kristin Zaben September 8, 2026
If you’ve been following my Northwest Edition, you know I’ve been showing you all the reasons I love this part of Bakersfield—the neighborhoods, local businesses, hidden gems and places that make Northwest Bakersfield feel like home.
And for Episode 7, we’re talking about something very important:
DATE NIGHT. ❤️🥩🍸
And this happens to be one of my favorites.
Our night starts at Ritmo Kitchen & Lounge, and while there are plenty of things on the menu worth trying, I already know what I’m ordering.
The ribeye. Every. Single. Time. 😂
But here’s the funny part: as much as I love a good steak, my favorite part might actually be the mountain of coarse salt that comes with it.
I’ve never been a huge salt person, but cut into that ribeye, dip it into that coarse salt and OH. MY. GOD.
It’s an explosion in your mouth. 😂
The ribeye comes with sautéed vegetables and your choice of a side, but on this particular date night we decided to do what any responsible adults would do…
Upgrade to the lobster mac and cheese. 🦞🧀
Worth it.
Ritmo isn't just about the food.
The cocktails are fantastic, the atmosphere feels elevated without being stuffy, and the whole place has that perfect date-night vibe where you can actually dress up a little, order a great meal and enjoy being out together.
It feels special without feeling like you need a special occasion to go.
And that's exactly what I want from a neighborhood date-night spot.
This is where our little Northwest Bakersfield date-night routine gets even better.
After dinner, we normally walk just a couple of doors down to Sliced Lounge for a craft cocktail. 🍸
Dinner at Ritmo → cocktails at Slice.
That's the plan.
Except apparently Sliced did not receive our itinerary that evening. 😂
Unfortunately, they had closed early that night, so our usual after-dinner cocktails didn't happen.
But that's real life—and we'll just have to go back. 😉
Episode 7 may have ended without our Slice Lounge cocktail…
which sounds to me like the perfect excuse for a return trip. 😉🍸
Stay tuned as I keep taking you through the neighborhoods, businesses, food and hidden gems that make Northwest Bakersfield one of my favorite parts of town.
Kristin Zaben
Amjadi Zaben Trifecta Group
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