Beyond the Creek

A Grand Time at the Grand Opening of Lottie’s Creamery in Walnut Creek

April 24, 2013 11:30 am

Although the downtown Walnut Creek ice cream shop Lottie’s Creamery has been open for a while now, in celebration of what would have been Lottie’s 107th birthday yesterday, Lottie’s Creamery had their grand opening with an official ribbon cutting and plenty of ice cream and smiles to go around.

To find out more about this ice creamery with their own pasteurizer, check out their homepage. “With a full commercial kitchen on site, Phillips [co-owner] makes 100% from scratch all ice cream and fold-ins, including marshmallows, brittles, and cookies, as well as the fresh waffle cones, brownies, and sauces.”

Of particular interest (considering the impending arrival of CREAM a block away) was a sampling of a new roasted banana ice cream brownie sandwich. It tasted amazing. Different flavors will be rotated in over time. Sundaes with homemade whip cream and floats (root beer, orange cream and black cherry) will be coming within the next couple of weeks as well. I am now ready for summer!

Co-owner Deb Phillips offers yummy roasted banana brownie ice cream sandwiches:

People of all ages enjoyed Lottie’s ice cream up and down N. Main St:

Check out the vanilla salted almond toffee ice cream and more photos after the jump…

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Ike’s Love & Sandwiches Opens in Walnut Creek

April 24, 2013 8:30 am

The sandwich shop Ike’s, slated to open this Friday is now open in downtown Walnut Creek! I dropped by last night and tried the “Joe Starkey” made with halal chicken, BBQ sauce and cheddar. I chose Dutch crunch bread (French, sourdough, whole wheat, and gluten free bread are also available) and tomatoes and lettuce. Next time I’ll ask for pickles and red onions which are free add-ons. I also tried Zapp’s voodoo chips and a caramel apple lollipop was included in the order which is a nice touch. Overall it was quite tasty and really hits the spot. Ike’s is destined to become quite a popular addition to the area no doubt.

Ike’s is located at 1159 Locust St. a few stores down from The Cheesecake factory and is open from 10:00am – 7:00pm daily. It may stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays. Check out the menu here. Who has tried Ike’s so far? What else are the must-try sandwiches?

Check out the inside:

More photos including the menu, the Joe Starkey and more after the jump…

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Mother’s Day Magic at Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek on May 12th

April 23, 2013 4:30 pm

Mother’s Day Magic:

The Ruth Bancroft Garden
552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek
Sunday, May 12th, 2013
10:00am – 3:00pm | $20

Garden tours, free admission for Mom, family photos, tea and crafts – Sunday, May 12

The Ruth Bancroft Garden makes Mother’s Day magical with a pampering day in the garden blooming with family fun:

·         Complimentary family portrait by Rochellez Photography

·         Free admission for Moms and children under 12

·         Hands-on crafts: succulent wine cork magnet making and make-your-own-dish-garden

·         Docent tours at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m.

·         Special Mother’s Day Tea Party at 12 p.m. includes individual tea boxes with sandwiches, salad and sweet treats from A Sweet Affair Bakery plus freshly brewed tea.

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See’s Candies Signage Now Up in Lafayette

April 23, 2013 11:30 am

In March I noted that See’s Candies was opening a new location in the Lafayette Plaza shopping center where Whole Foods is located and the signage is now up.

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The Art of Shaving Reopens in Broadway Plaza

April 23, 2013 8:30 am

Just last week I noted that The Art of Shaving was getting remodeled in Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek and they have now reopened. It looks like they went from pale yellow wall colors to deep wood paneling with lighted shelving to highlight the razors and accessories as well as various other changes. The Art of Shaving is located right near the fountain a few stores away from the Lacoste boutique.

Check out an inside shot below:

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7th Annual Moraga Triathlon April 27th

April 22, 2013 4:30 pm

Moraga Triathlon:

Campolindo High School
300 Moraga Rd, Moraga
Saturday, April 27th, 2013
7:30am | $88 (adults)

Adult and Student divisions must be checked in by 7:15 AM and inside the Soda Aquatic Center. The weather may be cool, so we suggest you wear warm clothing priorto the swim.
Please note the following times and details:
7:15 AM: athletes will be lined up according to race number. You must start the swim in the designated order. Anyone notin order will be disqualified.
7:25AM: Final race instructions given to adult participants
7:30 AM: Swim Start – Adult and Student divisions will start at the Northeast corner of the Soda Aquatic Center pool and swim all 8 lanes of the 50 meter pool (8×50 = 400 m). Athletes will swim down lane 1, and then cross under the lane marker and swim back in lane 2, repeating serpentine style until they have traversed the entire pool.
• Upon completion, athletes will exitthe Southeast corner ofthe pool
• Participants will jog to the transition area
Inside the transition area, athletes will grab gear and bike and head for the exit. NOTE: YOU MAY NOT RIDE YOUR BIKE INSIDE THE TRANSITIONAREA ANDHELMETS MUST BE STRAPPEDONBEFORE EXITING.
The bike course takes you down Moraga Road to Canyon Road, right on Pinehurst to the Canyon School turnaround and then back into Town to Camino Pablo. Riders turn right on Camino Pablo where they will once again turn around heading back to and up Moraga Road. The bike ride finishes back at the transition area. Remember, you must dismount before entering the transition area. Participants will return their bike to the transition area before heading out on the 5K (3.1 mile)run thru the Campolindo subdivision.
The last leg ofthe run comes thru the Campolindo parking lot and up the hillto the Campolindo stadium. Be sure to save some energy for your kick, because the last leg is a ¾ lap around the track, finishing in front of the Grandstand. The Town of Moraga, Village Associates Real Estate, Moraga Country Club and our sponsors will host a post race awards ceremony and celebration. Awards will be presented to the top finishers in each category. Celebrate your victory with friends and fellow athletes.

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Vanessa’s Bistro 2 Taking Over Bosphorus Restaurant in Walnut Creek

April 22, 2013 11:30 am

Back in February I posted about proposed plans for a new Davidson & Licht Jewelry building on N. Main St, and wondered what would happen to the Vietnamese tapas-style restaurant Vanessa’s Bistro and now it turns out that they will be taking over the Turkish restaurant Bosphorus on Locust St. next to Hubcaps diner.

Check out the new business name:

The current Turkish restaurant on Locust St:

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Mancini’s Sleepworld Moving to Old Giggle Location on N. Main St. in Walnut Creek

April 22, 2013 8:30 am

Back in February I noted that the upscale baby store Giggle was closing in a prime downtown Walnut Creek location on N. Main St. and now it looks like the mattress store Manicini’s Sleepworld located a few blocks away on Locust St. will be moving to this new location and plan to open by June 1st.

The spacious interior of this spot features exposed brick walls throughout which should nicely highlight the mattresses for sale although I thought this would be a great location for a women’s clothing store.

The current Mancini’s Sleepworld location on Locust St. will be closing soon:

Manicini’s Sleepworld will be located at 1359 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek.

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Residual Sugar Opening Pizza Restaurant Next Door in Walnut Creek

April 19, 2013 11:30 am

Back in March I posted some scuttlebutt about the wine bar Residual Sugar expanding into the Bake! location next door in downtown Walnut Creek on Locust St. near the Lesher Center and now Diablo Dish has posted that due to city bureaucracy they decided to make a separate restaurant serving, “Neapolitan-style, pizza, plus beer (not wine) with an emphasis on small, local breweries”. Interestingly, OL Beercafe is right around the corner where you can order pizza from Skipolini’s next door. Wouldn’t it be ironic if you could order beer from OL Beercafe to this new pizza place?

Being a huge pizza fan I can’t wait for this restaurant to open up right in downtown Walnut Creek! Diablo Dish reports that they plan on opening in the Fall.

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Fence of the Day

April 19, 2013 8:30 am

Spotted at the downtown Walnut Creek library. This fence is right outside the children’s book area.

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