81 Moraga Way, Orinda
A new salon called Smiley Nail Spa has opened next to Supercuts where Marley Cabinetry used to be in Orinda on Moraga Way.
81 Moraga Way, Orinda
A new salon called Smiley Nail Spa has opened next to Supercuts where Marley Cabinetry used to be in Orinda on Moraga Way.
Bay Area Storytelling Festival:
Orinda Community Center
28 Orinda Way, Orinda
Friday, April 29th, 2016 – Sunday, May 1st, 2016The Tellers: We have an extra-special lineup for this final festival. First up is Bil Lepp whose outrageous tall tales and witty stories delight audiences of all ages. Antonio Rocha is a mime and storyteller whose eloquent face and hands tell the story even without words. We turn to Elizabeth Ellis’s for down-home wisdom, delivered southern style. Diane Ferlatte, we’re so glad you’re here to share your powerful and empowering stories. Kinetic storytellers Eth-Noh-Tec layer ancient Asian myths on folktales and urban legends. Maynard Moose and his friend Willy Claflin round out the bill, with a promise to tickle our fancies and funnybones.
Mission Statement: The Bay Area Storytelling Festival promotes the timeless, contemporary art of storytelling by presenting today’s finest talents. The festival showcases the power of stories to bridge generations, celebrate diverse cultures, and build and connect communities.
The Festival, located at Orinda Community Center, starts on Friday with one or more master-level workshops and an evening performance by all tellers. Saturday and Sunday we offer several performances for adults and older kids, and a special family program for the younger kids.
1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek
One of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings of the year, ROOFTOP, located above Teleferic Barcelona at the corner of Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek has finally arrived and will be opening this week. The decor and architecture look amazing, and one of the more intriguing features is the retractable roof. It’s way larger than expected; In the evenings when the roof comes down I can imagine this will be an insanely cool place to hang out at the bar or have a bite to eat while gazing at the stars up above. (Check out photos of the inside including retractable roof, outdoor dining area and more after the jump).
For those not familiar with the chef:
Justine Kelly, former Chef de Cuisine at James Beard award winning restaurant The Slanted Door comes to Rooftop as a Partner/Executive Chef. Her menu is ingredient driven, seasonal new American cuisine that is influenced by foods from around the globe. From brightly flavored raw bar offerings to hearty, soulful entrées. She is bringing with her a little taste of San Francisco through the tunnel.
Chef Kelly, has competed on both the Iron Chef and Williams-Sonoma/Tasting Table’s Sous Chef Series and Cooked for President Clinton and the first lady. She most recently served as Executive Chef at The Battery as well as Consulting Chef at Bull Valley Roadhouse and at the always-packed Chino while running her meal and recipe delivery service, Sun Basket.
Check out the preliminary dinner menu here, and drinks menu here. You can make a reservation on their website here.
More photos of the inside after the jump…
Diamond Blvd, Concord
Thanks to a reader for pointing out this article in the East Bay Times that reports on a new lower priced Whole Foods supermarket called 365 by Whole Foods coming to a new shopping center called Veranda in the former Chevron Headquarters right next to Willows Shopping Center on Diamond Blvd. In addition to 365 by Whole Foods and other retails shops a new movie theater may also be at the shopping center. This is sweet news for Concord!
Nick Jaina, Music Performance and Reading:
Walnut Creek Library
1644 N. Broadway, Walnut Creek
Wednesday, April 27th, 2016
6:30pm – 7:30pm | FreeMusician and author Nick Jaina will give a unique performance of storytelling and song at the Walnut Creek Library on Wednesday, April 27, at 6:30 pm. Jaina‘s live performance is an amalgamation of all he has learned from composing for dance and film, all the songs he wrote while touring the country with his band, and all the stories he has compiled in his book, Get It While You Can.
Jaina‘s performance is not like a normal music show or a reading. Jaina loops electric guitar passages, mixing in sounds from distant rocket launches played from his phone into the pickups of his guitar. After creating a bed of sound, he reads short passages from his book, such as unsent love letters, or chronicles of Don Quixote-like figures who tried to sail across oceans. The performance is soulful and engaging. The stories alternate between funny and beautiful. The format is almost like a podcast such as Radiolab or This American Life, reaching the listener on many different emotional and intellectual levels.
1139 S. Main St, Walnut Creek
Last summer we learned that the GAP would be relocating to Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek this year and now according to a recent design review application submitted to the city we know that Capital One Cafe is planning to open in this spot.
When I read “Capital One” my first thought was, “credit cards”? Surely this must be some kind of mistake. It turns out this is a new, more casual style bank with a coffee shop, free wifi and meeting room spaces. Check out the rendering below to see what the exterior will look like. The modern look with larger windows to provide more light looks great.
From their website:
Ready for a reimagined banking experience? You’ve come to the right place. Capital One® is a new kind of bank, one that’s built on digital tools and human connections. People are at the heart of everything we do, so we keep the banking experience simple and straightforward—whether you’re mobile, online, at the ATM or in one of our Capital One Cafés, where our approach to banking comes to life. Here, you can take care of everyday banking needs with our friendly associates and fee-free ATMs, learn more about Capital One, or just get cozy with free Wi-Fi and hand-crafted Peet’s® beverages.
Rendering IA Interior Architects:
Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
Although Kit and Ace was one of the first stores to open in the new Broadway Plaza section in Walnut Creek, interestingly their storefront wasn’t finished until now. Finally.
Lafayette Library and Learning Center
3491 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
Sunday, April 24th, 2016
11:00am – 3:00pm | FreeWe invite you to join us as we explore this year’s theme of Act Local. Throughout the day, we all have opportunities to make better, more environmentally-friendly decisions. Think about the products you purchase, the transportation options, the lunches we pack for kids, the snacks we carry with us to parks and sporting events. Could you take one more step and bring your reusable shopping bags, walk or ride, carpool once a week or choose fruit that comes in its own organic wrapper (oranges, apples and bananas)? Sustainable Lafayette’s mission has always been to support activities that enhance the quality of life in Lafayette. Making even small changes in your daily decisions can have a huge impact.
Things you can do at Earth Day:
- create art with recycled materials at the LPIE Art booth.
- recycle old, used crayons with the Crayon Initiative.
- help preserve open space in Lafayette
- reduce food waste with White Pony Express
- learn about choosing renewable energy for your home with MCE
- request larger recycling and compost bins for your home with Republic Services.
- Daisies, Brownies and Juniors can earn their Girl Scout Global Action Award.
- practice bike skills at the Safe Moves bike rodeo at Stanley Middle School (9:30-11am).
- take a guided creek walk with the Lafayette Creeks Committee
Check out our suggestions for more ideas to get started!
Food vendors:
- IzzyA frozen custard ice cream
- Ebbett’s Good To Go food truck
- 333 Food Truck
1500 Mount Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek
From an email:
This Saturday, April 23, at Telefèric Barcelona – downtown Walnut Creek’s new Spanish tapas and pintxos hotspot – guests can celebrate Sant Jordi Day, Catalonia’s version of Valentine’s Day, with their friends and Diners at Teleferic will be presented with a rose, which is to be exchanged at the end of the meal over dessert. The legend of this curious and very original Catalonian tradition comes from the celebration of Catalonia’s 15th century patron saint and the legend that Saint Jordi courageously slewed a dragon, saving a princess from imminent death. The blood of the defeated dragon dropped to the ground and sprouted into a red rose bush. The heroic Saint Jordi then picked a rose from the bush and gave it to the princess. Today in Catalonia, it’s customary on Sant Jordi Day for the man to give his sweetheart a rose, and the woman to return the generosity with a book. All day on Saturday, April 23, at Telefèric Barcelona, every woman will be given a rose to commemorate this Telefèric Barcelona will also serve a one-day-only special Sant Jordi Day dessert and pintxo. The Pintxo Sant Jordi will be bread topped with caramelized onion, sopressata, Mahon cheese, and micro arugula. For dessert, the Give Me A Rose will be a chocolate cookie topped with Oaxacan chocolate ice cream, chocolate cream olive oil, maldon salt, garnished with rose petals.
With summer approaching I’ve been thinking about places to visit which has me wondering what kind of memberships to Bay Area museums and other places people have. I have exactly one membership, Exploratorium in San Francisco, which never gets boring no matter how many times my kids visit. What Bay Area memberships do you have that you take advantage of throughout the year?
