December 2011 – Page 7 – Beyond the Creek

Judging Bars – ØL Beercafe & Bottle Shop

December 2, 2011 11:30 am

ØL Beercafe & Bottle Shop is only a few months old, tucked away on Giammona Drive in Walnut Creek, next to Skipolini’s Pizzeria. This place takes their beer very seriously. You can even check out exactly what’s on tap online.

This is just part of their beer selection. “100s of bottles, 18 taps”. Focusing on independent brewers, they offer both domestic and foreign, with a particular focus on Belgium brews. When I inquired about Lambics the bartender showed me at least 5 different types of Lambic.

In addition to beer, they offer cheese plates, and other small dishes. You can even order a Skipolini’s pizza right from your table. The bartender also mentioned if you bring in a bagged lunch from outside they’ll take $1 off a draft. Sounds like a good deal for office workers nearby.

If you’re wondering why Walnut Creek, it turns out one of the owners of the highly regarded Oakland bar The Trappist lives in Walnut Creek. Anyone check this place out yet?

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Rinehart’s Jewelry Clock

December 2, 2011 8:30 am

If you ever strolled down N. Main St. in Walnut Creek, this clock probably caught your eye, and newcomers might wonder what a jewelery clock is doing across from a coffee shop. According to Brad Rovanpera’s book – “Walnut Creek, An Illustrated History”:

On Aug. 27, 1947, Pete Rinehart opened a jewelry and gift shop at 1632 Main St, across from the El Rey Theatre, In fornt of his store he placed an Art Moderne-style clock that remained Rinehart’s trademark until the store closed in March 2007. The clock was a fixture for nearly 60 years and was in many of the photos taken of the Walnut Festival Parades. Pete Rinehart built and owned the whole building.

Thanks goes out to the Walnut Creek Historical Society for this information.

In the end a Saxby coffee shop ended up taking over Rinehart’s Jewlery store. Apparently the Rineharts still own the building and the son rents it out. And the clock remains as a reminder of Walnut Creek past.

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Judging Restaurants – C U Sushi

December 1, 2011 4:30 pm

A year ago there was a Persian restaurant called Bijan at this location, and then 6 months ago C U Sushi opened at 1690 Locust St. (towards Target) in Walnut Creek, in addition to their Berkeley location. This is a Korean owned sushi place. Any fans?

This Walnut Creek location is turning into one hip place. Stay tuned this week for posts highlighting two great bars around each side of C U Sushi, one wine, one bar, that may convince you to check out this side of downtown more often.

Update: Thanks to the commenter for noting that the restaurant Bijan was Persian, not Turkish.

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H&M Closes Bathrooms – Blames Shoplifting

December 1, 2011 8:30 am

These are the bathrooms on the second floor of H&M in Walnut Creek. Notice the keycode panel on them? Think you can ask an employee for the code to use it? Think again. According to one employee I spoke with they have been closed due to shoplifting incidents that took place in there, and are now only available to store personnel. Luckily there was a small boy near me at the time and they made an exception for the boy. Otherwise, tough luck.

This is the inside of the H&M clothing store in Walnut Creek, something you will most likely not see. The nearest bathroom is around the corner on the second floor of Restoration Hardware.

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