After months of anticipation, the Greek restaurant Opa! has finally opened. You can check out their menus here. Anyone have a chance to check this place out yet? How is it? How does it compare to nearby Silk Road or Pomegranate?
After months of anticipation, the Greek restaurant Opa! has finally opened. You can check out their menus here. Anyone have a chance to check this place out yet? How is it? How does it compare to nearby Silk Road or Pomegranate?
I spotted this Statue of Liberty Barbie at the Second to None consignment store on Locust St. in downtown Walnut Creek.
Diablo View Rotary Club is holding their annual charity poker tournament at Pyramid Ale House in downtown Walnut Creek. Tickets are $50 (includes lunch) and may be purchased here.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A chicken restaurant is spreading out far and wide these days, and construction of a new restaurant is well under way in Walnut Creek as can be seen by the photo above at the old concrete plant on N. Main St. Here’s what president Dan Cathy said about its support of traditional marriage:
“Well, guilty as charged.”
“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit,” Cathy said. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.
I’ve heard good things about the chicken at Chick-fil-A, but have never eaten there myself. This reminds me of the Palestinian Chicken episode on Curb Your Enthusiasm:
If you’re pro-gay marriage, would you ever check out Chick-fil-A? Has anyone ever eaten there? How’s the chicken?
Last Friday I noted that the Ruth Bancroft Garden was holding their summer sale over the weekend and I stopped by to pick up some drought-resistant plants, including this beauty called Agave gentryi “La Encantada” which can be seen in front of the Ruth Bancroft garden. If you look closely you can see a hand at right, which is the gardener preparing to detach the offshoot from the mother plant. You can see the offshoot which I took home below:
There were plenty of docents, gardeners and volunteers to help out answering questions and offering suggestions. I highly recommend checking out the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek to check out the amazing showcase of drought resistant plants.
From the Ruth Bancroft Garden website in Walnut Creek:
Our Summer Plant Sale is Saturday, July 21!
Summer is the best time to plant succulents! Although drought-tolerant perennials need occasional water for the first year to become established, succulents thrive in the dry heat of our California summer. Our biggest Plant Sale event of the year features these sculptural easy-care gems at the height of their growing season displayed next to mature Garden specimens.
This is the Only Event with 30% Off Retail Prices on Selected Plants!
Members Only Preview Sale, Silent Auction, Coffee & Bagels: 9 – 10amMemberships for Sale at the Garden EntrancePublic Sale: 10am – 3pmFree Admission, Garden Open until 4pm
Spotted in Orinda near the community center, this sculpture is titled, “Wheely Whirly Peacock”, by Patricia Vader (no relation to Darth).
The Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Walnut Creek BART Transit Village was released a couple of days ago, and several renderings of the proposed development were included as well as detailed information on the proposed project. Part I is available here, and part II is available here. The report notes that, “The proposed Project would be predominantly residential, with some ground floor commercial, retail, flex space, and office space. The Project would also involve circulation improvements, landscaping, and construction of new parking facilities.”
As far as controversy is concerned, traffic/transportaion, air quality, and noise are mentioned, as well as aesthetics. This is what they have to say about aesthetics:
Development of the Project has the potential to adversely affect views along two scenic corridors established in General Plan 2025 in order to protect views of Mount Diablo and surrounding open space. Development of the Project would also substantially alter the visual character of the Project site…
They did note that Mt. Diablo could be framed between buildings as seen in the rendering of the view from the BART platform:
Here is a simulated view from Ygnacio Valley Rd. & Oakland Blvd.
This is a bird’s eye view of the village:
Since it’s Friday, I’ll make this the question of the day, do you like how the proposed Walnut Creek BART Transit Village is being presented? As far as residential living is concerned this location would obviously be convenient for BART commuters. What is your greatest worry? What do you look forward to most of all with the project?
From an email:
Long time Walnut Creek Resident Lisa Carlon was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. This is the same rare disease that Robin Roberts from ABC Good Morning America has. Lisa is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant and can’t find a proper donor, which is critical for saving her life.
Every 10 minutes someone dies of a blood cancer disease. Lisa and other minorities are at particular risk of not receiving Bone Marrow Transplants, because most bone marrow transplant agencies have extremely low numbers of minority volunteers. This is where YOU can help.
To find out if you are a match is very simple. With a simple swab of the cheek, a bit of your DNA is collected. Be The Match Registry uses this DNA to figure out your HLA typing; your unique markers that can match you with patients in need of a life-saving marrow transplant.
Learn more on how YOU can save lives by
becoming a bone marrow registry member.
3 ways YOU can help!
Join us at our Life for Lisa Be The Match Drive on
Saturday, July 28th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm
at Heather Farms Tennis Center.
(1751 Heather Drive, Walnut Creek)
Where Be The Match Foundation will be on site, registering new potential donors to help support Life for Lisa.
Or join the Be The Match registry
http://marrow.org/Join/Join_Now/Join_Now.aspx
Be The Match will send you a cheek swab kit
Or to help raise funds to support Life4Lisa, please go to:
http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/life4lisaAny questions please contact Zoe at zacarpe@prodigy.net
Shanghai Gourmet is a Chinese restaurant featuring Shanghai style cuisine but other styles are available as well. Their appetizers and soups menu is here, meats menu is here, seafood here, and claypot/vegetables menu here. Has anyone tried this place? What dishes do you recommend?
In case you were wondering about their Chinese store name, “Jia Jia Le”, apparently it means:
We Hope To Convey Our Best Wishes Towards The Happyness of Every Family Through Our Hospitality & The Authentic Shanghai Style Cuisine Many of Us Had Favored Since Childhood.
Check out the Chinese newspaper selection right outside the restaurant:
Shanghai Gourmet is located at 1291 Parkside Drive in Walnut Creek, near the soon-to-be-opened Kinder’s deli.