7001 Sunne Ln, Walnut Creek
Last year we learned that a new Peruvian restaurant, Parada would be opening near the Pleasant Hill BART station in Walnut Creek. Check out the rendering from the press release followed by more info below:
Chef Carlos Altamirano, owner of Mochica, Piqueos, Sanguchon food trucks, and two-time Michelin Star winner La Costanera, will open Parada, a casual, welcoming restaurant and rotisseria showcasing vibrant and creative Peruvian flavors, in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek in late June 2015.
Parada is the first East Bay venture for veteran
Chef Carlos Altamirano, who currently owns and operates San Francisco restaurants Mochica in Potrero Hill and Piqueos in Bernal Heights, the Michelin-starred La Costanera just north of Half Moon Bay in Montara, Calif., and Sanguchon food trucks that serve the Bay Area. Known for flavorful and contemporary interpretations of traditional Peruvian fare, Chef Altamirano brings the vibrant flavors of the traditional market in Lima, Peru to downtown Walnut Creek. Taking its name and inspiration from the Peruvian outdoor produce market, Parada will serve dishes such as fresh fish cebiches, organic salads, grilled anticuchos and flavorful tapas and entrees such as Pollo a la Brasa, traditional Peruvian rotisserie chicken. With both a la carte and family style meals available for dine-in or take out, the restaurant is a welcome addition to downtown Walnut Creek, and is the only full service restaurant within two blocks of the Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre BART station.
“Parada is a place close to my heart, as I used to love to visit the market as a child. I was always fascinated by the busy atmosphere and fresh, comforting foods we couldn’t find anywhere else. I’m so excited to bring these flavors to the East Bay,” said Chef Altamirano.
After 20 years of experience in kitchens such as Grand Café, Kuleto’s, One Market, Rose Pistola and Hawthorne Lane, Chef Altamirano and his wife Shu Dai opened Mochica in 2004, then located in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco, and quickly became known for providing authentic yet contemporary Latin American experiences. After Mochica, the family opened Piqueos in 2007, a popular Peruvian tapas bar in Bernal Heights. They later established La Costanera in 2009, a contemporary Peruvian restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean north of Half Moon Bay, Calif., representing the coastal cuisine of Latin America, which garnered a Michelin star in 2012 and 2013. The Altamirano restaurant group also owns a group of Peruvian food trucks, Sanguchon, reflecting Latin American street food with a modern twist.
As the newest addition to the restaurant group, Parada will keep to Chef Altamirano’s focus on sustainability by utilizing Mary’s Organic Free-Range chickens exclusively in the rotisserie, alongside seasonally rotating proteins sourced from Marin Sun Farms and other local, sustainable suppliers. Produce is carefully sourced with freshness, seasonality, and sustainability in mind. In addition, in 2010, Chef Altamirano founded Alta Farm in Half Moon Bay, Calif., a single-acre plot dedicated solely to producing the spicy rotoco variety of pepper, a foundational ingredient of Peruvian cuisine. Previously available only as a frozen import from South America, the rotoco pepper, grown from seeds brought in directly from Peru, is liberally utilized at Parada and all other Altamirano Restaurant Group properties.
In addition to its fresh, flavorful comfort food, Parada will serve a full range of wine, beers, and cocktails, many of which feature pisco, the traditional spirit of Peru. From classic pisco sours to Chilcanos made with rotating variations like passion fruit and tamarind, the artisan craft cocktails are vibrant and refreshing. The wine and beer programs showcase accessible, food-friendly styles, and are chosen specifically to complement the rustic and modern new Peruvian cuisine.
Designed by Abueg Morris Architects, a firm known for other high-profile Bay Area restaurants such as Comal and Nopalito, the interior of Parada features a mix of wood and industrial metals, with pops of turquoise throughout. The intimate, 60-seat atmosphere is further accented by a dramatic and colorful mural by local artist Letty Samonte.
Parada is located at 7001 Sunne Lane in Walnut Creek, Calif. Beginning in late June, Parada will be open daily for lunch from 11:30-2:30 p.m; dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5-9:30 p.m.; and dinner Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. The restaurant will remain open between lunch and dinner with a smaller bar menu. To book a reservation, please call 925-448-8118 or visit opentable.com. Parking is available in an adjacent garage, and is located one block from the Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre BART station. For additional information, please visit www.paradakitchen.com.