I love going out to eat at restaurants but sometimes a nice home-cooked meal can’t be beat. I enjoy eating lasagna or even a simple bowl of natto over rice. What is your favorite home-cooked meal?
I love going out to eat at restaurants but sometimes a nice home-cooked meal can’t be beat. I enjoy eating lasagna or even a simple bowl of natto over rice. What is your favorite home-cooked meal?
This is going to be popular so get there extra-early!
Jay Ward – Creative Director – Pixar Studios:
Blackhawk Museum
3700 Blackhawk Plaza Cir, Danville
Saturday, June 24th, 2017
10:30am – 12:30pm | (included w/ museum general admission)Jay Ward came to Pixar Animation Studios in December 1998 to work as an art department production assistant on the 2001 feature film, “Monsters, Inc.” He was soon promoted to coordinator, and in 2001 began early development work on the 2006 film, “Cars.” During the production of “Cars,” Ward’s knowledge of the automotive world led him to play different roles on the film, including the character team manager and automotive consultant to the film’s director and co-director, John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. He went on to manage the art department for “Ratatouille,” “Brave” and was the Associate Producer on the Pixar Short “Presto” in 2008.
Earlier this week we saw a great sign by Ministry of Supply, Beat the 102° Heat. The other day I was in Broadway Plaza again in sweltering heat trying to stay hydrated and alive while strolling around when I spotted this sign at True Religion: BRING THE HEAT
Now Beat the Heat make sense to me, but Bring the Heat? No thanks, I don’t want to bring it at all. Unless they mean, bring us your overheated body inside our store so we can cool you off!
Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
Last week we learned that Ray-Ban would be taking over the Apex sunglasses store in Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek and they have now opened. Considering they are both owned by the Italian eyewear company Luxottica I’m not surprised they opened so quickly. Looks like Oakley just couldn’t compete with the allure of the iconic brand Ray-Ban. In fact, I realized after entering the store to browse I myself was wearing a pair of Ray-Bans which one of the employees kindly offered to clean for me. If you’re looking for Ray-Ban glasses this is the place to check out!
Friday Connections – Innermost House and the Art of Simplicity:
Lafayette Library and Learning Center
3491 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
Friday, June 30th, 2017
1:00pm – 2:30pm | FreeThis informal conversation with Diana and Michael Lorence of Innermost House will examine the many ways of simplicity, and how an experience of seven years in the woods without electricity, telephone or automobile may be adapted to simplify even the busiest life in the world.
Diana Lorence speaks across the country at universities, libraries and environmental associations. Her Innermost House has been featured in House Beautiful, Fine Homebuilding, The Oregonian, Mother Earth Living, Green Style, The Examiner, Furniture and Home Fashion, Yahoo and AOL Homepages, Kiplinger, Tiny House Blog, Fair Companies, and hundreds of websites, books and newspapers around the world.
310 Eatery, the LA street food style restaurant which recently reopened in downtown Walnut Creek is opening a second location soon within Spats in Berkeley. There they will be called Street Burger by 310 Eatery at 1974 Shattuck Ave.
Blackhawk Plaza, Danville
The toy store G.R. Doodlebug and Read Booksellers, (same owners), will be closing due to retirement this summer in Blackhawk Plaza in Danville. Currently everything is 40% off.
Summer Sounds Outside with The Frank Bey and Anthony Paule Band:
Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek
Thursday, June 22nd, 20175:30 – 7:00pm | Free
The Frank Bey and Anthony Paule Band, eight pieces of spellbinding, soul-blues genius, has been leaving a wake of awestruck audiences whenever they take the stage. Their two CDs released in 2013, “You Don’t Know Nothing” and “Soul For Your Blues” earned them two Blues Music Award nominations and an invitation to perform at the prestigious awards ceremony. Their show-stopping performance brought the audibly and visibly impressed audience to their feet. This well deserved attention has paved the way for three International tours in 2014, and 2015. Frank Bey’s hypnotic vocals, and Paule’s lofty guitar playing, keep their band on a shelf all by itself. However, if comparisons need to be made, they would be likened to Bobby Bland, B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding.
Last week the giant online retailer Amazon bought the high-end supermarket Whole Foods and as other supermarket chains shudder as their stock prices drop, shoppers are left wondering how this will affect them. Will we start start getting groceries delivered by drone? Not around here, but with all that money Amazon makes and tech knowledge they have, supermarkets are right to be worried.
Will human cashiers be replaced by self-service checkout options? Will big data allow Amazon to track use personally to make better recommendations and discounts as well as invade our privacy to a greater extent? What do you envision will happen at Whole Foods?
1401 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek
Union & Fifth, a high-end discount clothing reseller with 75% of the proceeds going directly to the charity of the donor’s choice is opening a pop-up shop in downtown Walnut Creek where Chico’s used to be. They will be open through October. Check for updates on their Facebook page here and check out the brands they carry and charities they support on their website here.