Beyond the Creek

We Olive Wednesday Cooking Classes

February 22, 2012 4:30 pm

The olive oil store We Olive, located at 1364 N. Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek is offering cooking classes at the bar pictured above on bi-monthly Wednesdays starting at 6pm. Classes last about 2 hours, include tastings and cost $30. From their website:

We Olive Walnut Creek is excited to announce We Olive Wednesdays a bi-monthly cooking demonstration featuring cuisine inspired by California Extra Virgin Olive Oil and vinegars.
The evening will feature exciting & easy-to-make recipes for the beginner in the kitchen, or an advanced foodie, there will be something for everyone’s recipe repertoire. Each month will have a different theme and tasting menu the same class will be offered 2 times a month.
The classes will be small intimate groups with plenty of room for participation and hands on experience.

$30 per person includes tastings of menu items, libations and recipes to take home.

Classes will be taught by Lauren Mahlke, who owns Olive to Eat Catering and is a culinary adviser to We Olive. Find out more about Lauren at her website Olive to Eat Catering.

Upcoming Classes

March 14th & 28th: “Mouthwatering Mediterranean”
April 11th & 25th: “Is this really Vegan?”
May 9th & 23rd: “Pickling, Preserving and Curing”

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Dear BtCreek – Reservations at Neiman Marcus Cafe?

February 22, 2012 12:28 pm

Dear BtCreek,
Do you know if there is any way to make a reservation at the new Neiman Marcus café for Saturday the 10^th. I know the place will be packed that day since it’s the opening weekend. Would like to go there for lunch with friends. I’ve looked all over online but can’t find anything.

Maybe someone can enlighten us as to whether it’s possible to make a reservation at Neiman Marcus for opening weekend. If not, some good alternatives are Boulange Bakery next to Macy’s, and Va de Vi next to Tiffany’s. Not sure if you can get popovers there though.

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Coming Soon – Tuesday Morning

February 22, 2012 11:30 am

1330 S. California Blvd. in downtown Walnut Creek right near Trader Joe’s has changed stores more times than I can count. I know I was here shopping for Halloween costumes not too long ago, and before that I believe it was a Lane Home Furnishings store. Now Tuesday Morning, the discount home goods store is setting up shop here. I’ve been to the one in Moraga and they have some great deals. Will Tuesday Morning make it in this location? Only time will tell.

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Judging Boutiques – Brandy Melville

February 22, 2012 8:30 am

The women’s boutique clothing store Brandy Melville, originally from Italy, has arrived to Walnut Creek (about 3 months ago), on the corner where the Cheesecake Factory and Tilly’s is. This is the first Brandy Melville store in Northern California. The other locations are in So Cal and New York. Check out the inside of the store in the photo below and let us know how it is if you’ve been.

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Closing – PureBeauty

February 21, 2012 4:30 pm

PureBeauty, a cosmetics store located at Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek next to Boudin Bakery is closing. Looks like there may be some good deals to be found at 30-50% off.

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Just Opened – A Colorful Mind Drawing Studio

February 21, 2012 11:30 am

A new drawing studio for children called A Colorful Mind recently opened its doors in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek at 1341 N. Main St. in the passageway where the women’s boutique Norf London is located. As you’re walking down N. Main St. towards Neiman Marcus, turn right right before the Rochester Big & Tall clothing store in the covered passageway and it will be on your right, a few stores down.

Classes are age appropriate, from a “Getting Ready – Drawing Through the Alphabets & Geography” for younger kids to “Drawing Fundamentals” for kids 8 & up. You may register online here.

The inside of the studio looks really well designed and neat. So if you have kids I would defintely recommend checking this studio out. If anyone has been already please chime in and let us know how it is.

From their website:

A Colorful Mind Drawing Studio is a nurturing and relaxing environment that is designed to help children ages 4 and older learn to focus, create, and express themselves. Through structured instructions and age-appropriate projects, we help each child interpret information in his or her own unique way without competition or judgment. This fosters creativity, imagination, and the type of dynamic and adaptive thinking that is critical for success in both academic endeavors and in life.

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Preview of N. Main/Mt. Diablo Restaurant Project

February 21, 2012 8:30 am

All drawings copyright Robert Becker

Now that B.H. Development has been awarded the N. Main/Mt. Diablo parking lot project in downtown Walnut Creek, you’re probably wondering what it’ll look like. Brian Hirahara, the owner of B.H. Development sent over some conceptual renderings of the future restaurant. This is the same developer who brought the restaurant Sasa to Walnut Creek, as well as The Corners project across the street which features Tiffany’s and the upscale tapas-style restaurant Va de Vi.

With this background in mind, it looks like the bar component to this new restaurant will be more similar to the bar at Va de Vi, in other words more upscale compared to other bars/lounges in the city that have been having problems lately.

Anyway, take a look at the outdoor dining concept in this next rendering. Note the butterfly windows which is a cool concept. The diners sitting outside are facing Commercial Lane, which I imagine will be renamed to something more appropriate in due time.

This is the view at the corner looking down Mt. Diablo Blvd. Note the benches, glad those will be going in as well.

See more drawings including an aerial view after the jump

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Sufism Reoriented Sanctuary Appeal – Feb. 21

February 20, 2012 8:30 am

Whether Sufism Reoriented will be able to build a new sanctuary in residential Saranap, an unincorporated part of Contra Costa County located between Walnut Creek and Lafayette, is coming down to the wire. As the Saranap Community Association reports:

The board of supervisors’ hearing on appeals of the county planning commission’s approval of the Sufism Reoriented sanctuary will be held Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts in downtown Walnut Creek.

The county planning commission on Nov. 8 approved Sufism Reoriented’s application to build a sanctuary on Boulevard Way. The 4-2 vote came after three nights of public comments during which more than 200 people spoke. In addition to approving the church’s land use permit, the commission approved the environmental impact report on the project and the merging the seven parcels that make up the site.

Subsequent to the commission’s decision, eleven appeals were filed, including one by Sufism Reoriented.

While Sufism Reoriented wants to build the 66,000 square foot building, many in the Saranap community, like those part of Save Our Saranap, are against the project. The county Environmental Impact Report can be viewed here. Crazy in Suburbia has an informative post as to why it should not be approved.

Although the image of the spaceship-like aerial view of the sanctuary gets a lot of attention, here is a simulated view taken from the county environmental report. Doesn’t seem that out of the ordinary at street level. Other simulated views in the report have the sanctuary completely hidden from view. I had thought it would be more visible at street level. That being said I’m not sure I’d like it next to where I live. If this were built within a few blocks of where you live would you be ok with it or not?

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Judging Stores – Decors De France

February 17, 2012 11:30 am

Decors De France is a cute little shop selling imported French goods such as soaps, bags and little gifts, located in Broadway Plaza right next to Nordstrom. It use to be La Lavande. Has anyone shopped here? I’ve passed by a million times admiring the storefront which is always nicely decorated.