According to a sign on the side of The French Bakery, they are now open for breakfast at 8am Tuesday through Sunday.
According to a sign on the side of The French Bakery, they are now open for breakfast at 8am Tuesday through Sunday.
photo from WCYC
Chef Kevin, the co-owner of the Walnut Creek Yacht Club will again be offering kids cooking classes three Saturdays this summer. Note, these classes fill up seriously quickly so you need to call in to a reserve a spot (for one class only) IMMEDIATELY to make sure you get your child a spot. My kid went to this last year and it’s truly excellent. Highly recommended!
What: Kids cooking class
When: July 7th, Aug. 4th, Aug. 18th 1-3pm
Where: Walnut Creek Yacht Club
Price: FREE
Ages: 7 – 12
At the end of April I noted that the Greek restaurant Opa! was opening mid-June, and I have since learned it will open by the end of June, and will serve the same dishes at their other locations. Check out their menus here.
The side of the bar is illuminated behind the stone:
Above the restaurant are various offices, although I still think it would make for a cool apartment.
Opa! is located at the corner of N. Main St. and Lincoln Ave. in Walnut Creek
Attention students of all ages: bring in an “A” paper to the Teacake Bake Shop in Lafayette and get a free mini cupcake on Wednesdays. Sounds like a sweet deal to me!
Back in February I noted the opening of the Chinese restaurant Dragon’s Pond in downtown Walnut Creek, and they now have a new sign up. Interesting how it’s behind the glass.
Last month I noted the progress at Spouts Market shopping center in Walnut Creek at Geary and N. Main St, and a reader kindly pointed out that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is on the signage as well. You can also see the progress on the shopping center from the photo above.
You can check out their drink menu here. I wonder how this compares to Starbucks and Peet’s, anyone been?
photo by Stacy Ventura
Corners Tavern in downtown Walnut Creek next to Macy’s will begin offering brunch service starting tomorrow. Check out their brunch menu here.
From an email:
Nestled in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, the new contemporary American restaurant, Corners Tavern will begin serving lunch on Saturday (11:30-2) and Sunday brunch (10:30-2:30) starting this weekend, June 2. The new brunch menu will continue the theme of big, bold flavors and will be divided into two categories: appetizers and entrees. Guests can choose from sweet dishes like the Brioche French Toast with Strawberry Butter or savory fare like the Duck Confit Hash with Fingerling Potatoes and Baked Duck Egg or the Grilled Shrimp and Grits with Housemade Andouille Sausage. Brunch cocktails include the Mimosa, Brazilian(Cachaca, mint, lemongrass, lime and Prosecco) and the Michelada (Mexican beer, tabasco and lime). A full brunch menu is attached.
Perfect for summer, Corners Tavern will have the patio seating available for outdoor dining and (weather permitting) the large front-facing roll-up garage doors open for indoor dining.
Corners Tavern will remain open after brunch and lunch service with a mid-day menu featuring a limited number of items including salads, smoked chicken wings, house-made charcuterie, the Corners burger and a variety of light snacks such as the smoked and spiced almonds and duck fat roasted potatoes. The mid-day menu is a perfect respite for Walnut Creek shoppers looking for a small bite between meals or a cold, refreshing beverage on a warm day.
According to a project recently submitted to the Lafayette Design Review Commission, a new restaurant called Boo Koo, serving Asian street food, may be headed to Lafayette where The Art Room and The Lafayette Art Gallery are currently located, across from Chow. From the plan:
The concept focuses on a transparent façade that provides for a substantial indoor outdoor relationship and that utilizes the existing ambiance provided by the mature trees and the active uses across Lafayette Circle.
Boo Koo’s current location is in Mill Valley. From their website:
Boo Koo serves Southeast Asian street food with a California twist: fresh, healthy, and flavorful dishes that are both fast and affordable. Everything’s made here (no preservatives or MSG) and we source meats and produce locally. Our basic menu is vegan, customizable with high-quality proteins, from wild salmon and free-range chicken to natural pork and grassfed beef. Constantly changing specials keep things seasonal and creative.
The Mill Valley menu is here. Apparently a search for a new location for the Lafayette Art Gallery is being conducted so it can be relocated nearby.
What do you think of the The Art Room building going away to make room for this restaurant? Does this hold promise? Has anyone been to the Mill Valley location?
Last month I noted that the hotly anticipated wood-fired Mexican Grill Barbacoa would be opening sometime in June and I have now learned that it will open next Tuesday, June 5th for dinner. Lunch service will follow sometime in the future. How cool is that sign?
Check out the awesome outdoor patio in front:
With Table 24 (same owners) and Shelby’s nearby, Orinda Theater Square is becoming a great dining destination. I can’t wait to try this place out.
Back in April I raved about the Neiman Marcus Cafe popovers in downtown Walnut Creek thanks to the first ever Walnut Creek restaurant week in which I was able to eat lunch there for a reasonable $20 which included an appetizer, entree, dessert and those delicious popovers, with strawberry butter of course. It looks like I wasn’t the only one to take advantage of the special prix fixe menu because the Walnut Creek NM Cafe has decided to offer a prix fixe dinner option year round, for $30. The menu will change weekly and the full menu will still be offered as well.
I had a chance to dine there last week (Kristi Yamaguchi was sitting a few tables away), and as you can see, both the dessert and entree look (and tasted) amazing. The photo above is the “Apple Brown Betty”, consisting of warm sweetened brioche & caramelized apples topped with vanilla and caramel sauce, and below feast your eyes on the chili-lime glazed scallop:
I also had a chance to try some other dishes and my favorites were the short rib pasta with house-made pappardelle pasta, cabernet marinara, parsnip puree, pistachio-parmesan persillade, and blackened Mahi consisting of rouille shrimp risotto, cajun Beurre Blanc, roasted corn & poblano relish. This week’s menu offers the short rib pasta and pan-seared Mahi Mahi.
These dishes come from executive chef Santana Diaz who I briefly met:
Santana has worked in the culinary world for many years, includes stints as the sous chef for the Sacramento Kings, including coaches, player’s families and celebrity VIPs, as well at Taste and The Firehouse in Sacramento.
We will be offering a last seating at 8PM Monday-Friday, Saturday last seating at 7PM, and last seating Sundays at 6PM. Along side the full menu offered daily we will also have a 3 course prix fixe menu offered for $30 per person! Customers may choose the entree-only option from the prix fixe menu if they do not want all three courses as well. The entrees for the prix fixe menu will always offer one seafood entree and one “land” entree for variety and I will be changing the entree options for the prix fixe every week to keep it original. We will also offer a special soup, salad, sandwich, entree, and dessert which will change daily and offered concurrent with the regular menu and prix fixe menu.
The Neiman Marcus Cafe is located on the 2nd floor of Neiman Marcus at the corner of Main St. and Mt. Diablo Blvd. across the street from Tiffany & Co.