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Noriega Hotel
Restaurant information
Established1893; 133 years ago (1893)
Closed2020; 6 years ago (2020)
OwnerElizalde family
Food typeBasque cuisine with American influences
Dress codeCasual
Location525 Sumner Street, Bakersfield, California, 93305, United States
Seating capacity
120
Reservationsyes

Noriega Hotel, known as Iberia Hotel until 1906, and commonly known as Noreiga's, was a Basque and American restaurant, boarding house and Basque 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 closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

History

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Faustino Noriega immigrated to the United States from Santander, Spain in 1872 as a shepherd.[2] In 1893, he partnered with Fernando Etchevarry, a Basque immigrant, to open the Iberia Hotel.[3] In 1906, the name changed from Iberia Hotel to Noriega Hotel.[4]

Family style dining at Noriega 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 1931, Jean and Grace Elizalde bought the property.[5] In 1940, the current restaurant and a portion of the building were added.[6]

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 and the restaurant was sold in June 2020.[7] At the time of the sale, the restaurants was co-owned by the two granddaughters of the Elizaldes, Linda Elizalde-McCoy and Rochelle Ladd.[8] Mrs. Ladd, a regular hostess, died in January 2023 at the age of 70 of a longstanding heart condition.[9]

A 2011 dinner menu for Noriega Hotel in Bakersfield, California

Post-closure

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After the sale, a new Noriega's opened at 4809 Stockdale Highway in June 2021 and continued with the same recipes, as well as tables, chairs, plates and other memorabilia. However, it too closed in early 2025.[10]

The original building at 525 Sumner Street remains vacant as of 2026. The original bar and neon sign were moved from the original location were moved to the Kern County Museum.[11]

Cuisine

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The restaurant served a mixture of traditional Basque cuisine and more modern American cuisine. The front of the restaurant contained a bar, open until about 10pm. Meals were served family style in the dining room in the back at set times, 7am for breakfast, noon for lunch and 7pm for dinner. All three meals were served with wine. Lunch and dinner was served with soup, salad, beans, bread, salsa and bleu cheese. In addition, at dinner the meal was served with beef tongue and French fries.

Awards and accolades

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In 2011, the restaurant received the James Beard Award for America's Classics.[12][13] This award is given to "given to restaurants with timeless appeal, beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their community"[14]

Noriega's was featured in Huell Hower's television show, California's Gold, the Los Angeles Times,[15] and Smithsonian Magazine.[16][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Zubiri, Nancy. "Noriega's Hotel in Bakersfield Closes for Good". Euskal Kazeta. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Douglass, William A.; Bilbao, Jon (1975). Amerikanuak : Basques in the New World. Internet Archive. Reno : University of Nevada Press. ISBN 978-0-87417-043-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  3. ^ "Noriega Hotel | Sumner, Kern City & East Bakersfield - PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE!". Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  4. ^ Bass, Steve. "History of the Noriega Hotel" (PDF). BasquesInCalifornia. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  5. ^ Bass, Stephen; Ansolabehere, George (2012). The Basques of Kern County. Castle Printing Group. pp. 53–67. ISBN 978-0615646688.
  6. ^ "Noriega Hotel a pivotal center of Bakersfield's Basque community".
  7. ^ "'Noriega Hotel will not reopen,' signaling the end of Bakersfield as we know it".
  8. ^ Californian, HERB BENHAM For The. "Rochelle Ladd, welcoming face of renowned Noriega Hotel, dies at 70". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Californian, HERB BENHAM For The (January 11, 2023). "Rochelle Ladd, welcoming face of renowned Noriega Hotel, dies at 70". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "Noriega Hotel will reopen under new ownership, at new location".
  11. ^ DIAS, STEFANI. "THE DISH: New Noriega's aims to feed traditions". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Bakersfield's Noriega Hotel Wins Prestigious James Beard Foundation Award".
  13. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (May 10, 2011). "The Spotlight Finds a Basque Shepherds' Canteen". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "JBF Announces 2011 America's Classics Award Honorees". March 10, 2011.
  15. ^ "In Bakersfield, a hungry and weary soul searches for a bite to eat". Los Angeles Times. May 30, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  16. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Shen, Aviva. "Your Guide to Basquing in the Old West". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian. "Indulging in American Basque Cuisine". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
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