Locust St, Walnut Creek
The building that features the Chinese restaurant Dragon’s Pond and the future Fuego Tequila Grill has finished up their external makeover in downtown Walnut Creek. This is what it looked like four years ago when the outside redevelopment was just beginning. Looks like Dragon’s Pond lost the paint battle in the middle.
1822 Grant St, Concord
Grant Street Pub & Pizzeria opened at the beginning of summer in Concord a block from Todos Santos Plaza where Time Out Sports Bar used to be. One interesting thing I learned is this place used to be a tiki bar. Check out their food menu here and beverage menu here. They plan on opening up the upper floor which has an additional bar sometime in the future. Check out the amazing outside mural after the jump made by the owner.
More photos after the jump…
1975 Diamond Blvd, Concord
Last month we learned that the southern California-based restaurant Eureka! would be opening in the Willows Shopping Center in Concord on September 7th, and recently I was able to get a preview of the inside. They also have a Berkeley location and are planning on opening new spots on the Apple campus and in Mountain View in the South Bay. Check out their burger menu here and starters/salads/taco/signatures menu here. I’m looking forward to the bone marrow burger and butterscotch rum pudding! This location will also offer a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays in addition to lunch and dinner. Check for updates on their Facebook page here. There will be 40 American craft beers on tap with 20 of them featured in a rotating selection. (Check out the closeup of the rotating beer list sign after the jump). The bar also has a huge whiskey and bourbon selection.
The inside looks amazing and feels quite spacious thanks to the huge vaulted ceiling and wide sliding doors making for a great inside/outside dining experience. Handcrafted wood from historic American barns, factories, and whiskey distilleries adds a warm element to the overall design. This is a great addition to the newly redeveloped Willows Shopping Center and I look forward to trying this place out soon!
Plenty more photos after the jump…
965 Mountain View Dr, Lafayette
Last December we learned that Susan Foord Cafe was closing in Lafayette near Trader Joe’s and now a new restaurant called Bistro Burger & Grill will be opening there in mid-September assuming everything goes as planned with final inspections. I dropped by and spoke to the owner who said the menu will be more upscale than their four San Francisco locations (check it out here). In addition to burgers there will also be grilled dishes, beer, wine and more. The inside has been completely remodeled with two flat screen televisions and is much more spacious. Stay tuned…
172 E. Prospect Ave, Danville
Earlier this month we learned that the Amalfi Coast pizzeria Locanda Ravello would be opening in Danville on Prospect Ave. and they opened last week. Check out their menu here. Find out more about the owner here. Note the beautiful photo of the inside on that page. 🙂
Lafayette native Kimberli Haris (now living in Benicia) will be demoing her organic Otter Pop style ice pops called Fairyella at Diablo Foods in Lafayette today from 11am to 2pm and the Walnut Creek Whole Foods from 3 – 6pm. As a child she loved walking across Mt. Diablo Blvd. and hanging out at Orchard Nursery while sipping an orange soda. With this I knew I had to try the Fairyella orange ice pop which I picked up at the Walnut Creek Whole Foods. Made with organic orange, pear and sweet potato without any added extra sugar it was quite refreshing and good for me, too! 🙂
In additon to orange they also offer:
From their website:
We handcraft our Ice Pops with all organic raw ingredients that are always unpasteurized, non-gmo and gluten free. We source the most local fruit and vegetables possible through Capay Organic Farms and freshly juice it into our Ice Pops with no stabilizers or additives except for a touch of organic cane sugar or agave. All certifications to come as we grow with you.
1 Camino Sobrante, Orinda
The Chinese/Japanese restaurant Niwa has temporarily closed in Orinda for remodeling and is planning to reopen sometime in late August. Check out their menu here.
1179A Locust St, Walnut Creek
Last month we learned that Pinkberry would be closing in Plaza Escuela in downtown Walnut Creek and replaced with a Los Angeles-based juice bar called Pressed Juicery and there is now an “Opening Fall 2015” sign along with giant photos of their juices on the windows while the inside gets redone. Check out their juice menu here.
2054 Treat Blvd, Walnut Creek
A new restaurant called Mariachi Mexican Grill opened several months ago in the Countrywood Shopping Center in Walnut Creek where Una Mas used to be.
3003 Oak Rd, Walnut Creek
Sabores del Sur, the Chilean restaurant that has been open for lunch since last April is going to be offering dinner service on Thursdays and Fridays beginning September 3rd. Check out their menu here. In addition, they will also be offering beer and wine. I’ve been trying to take my family here for a while now so this is great news!
Alfajores:
Photo from Sabores del Sur
