From the Walnut Creek Library:
Local author Steve Burton will share his recently published book Staying Afloat – Three Years in Abu Dhabi.
Steve will answer questions and discuss his book with the audience.
From the Walnut Creek Library:
Local author Steve Burton will share his recently published book Staying Afloat – Three Years in Abu Dhabi.
Steve will answer questions and discuss his book with the audience.
I noticed a new restaurant called Rancho Cantina will be opening up at 3616 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette across the street from Diablo Foods. Sounds intriguing.
From their Facebook page:
Rancho Cantina, a Californio-spirited restaurant featuring wood-fired Rancho cuisine, will open in the heart of Lafayette’s flourishing food scene in the spring of 2013. With its central location, attentive service, and rustic, artisan-crafted brick patio, the city’s newest and most exciting dining destination will be both a neighborhood fixture beloved for its warmth and an inviting gathering spot for friends and families.
Served with the generous familiarity that is a hallmark of the Californio dining experience, “California’s first cuisine” will introduce people to the confluence of Spanish, Mexican, and native Californian influences that create the unique flavors of Rancho fare. Rancho Cantina’s offerings will be prepared artfully without seeming “fussy,” and will fill a seasonally-driven menu which utilizes the freshest locally-sourced ingredients. Rancho Cantina’s full bar will offer a selection of single village mezcal; estate-grown, añejo, and premium agave and reposado tequilas; hand-crafted margaritas prepared with fresh juices and proprietary syrups and flavorings; an inviting selection of regional draught beers, and wines which pair perfectly with Rancho cuisine.
Back last September I noted that Davidson & Licht’s The Watch Shoppe was closing on N. Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek while keeping opening their Broadway Plaza store. Well, it turns out that according to preliminary plans Davidson & Licht will be jumping ship from Broadway Plaza once their new store is built at the N. Main downtown Walnut Creek location. This is made easier since they own the building where The Watch Shoppe (now a gift store) and the Vietnamese tapas-style restaurant Vanessa’s Bistro are located. Take a look at the renderings below to get a an idea of how it might turn out but keep in mind that these are only preliminary and have not yet been approved by the city.
One thing you may notice is that Vanessa’s is gone. They will have to move elsewhere although I hope they can stick around somewhere downtown. The new building will contain two floors plus a roof area for a total of over 8,000 square feet. There will be a watch section, jewelry sections, a bridal section, goldsmith and watch repair area so this is going to be huge.
Check out the proposed front design:
Check out renderings of the roof and back side after the jump…
From the Mighty Fine Guitars Facebook page:
Fiore & Ayers Clasical Guitarists
85 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette
Sunday, February 24th, 2013
7:00pm – 10:00pm | $15 – $20Giacomo Fiore
http://www.reverbnation.com/ giacomofiore Ryan Ayers
http://www.reverbnation.com/ ryanayers Email for reservations: stevie@mightyfineguitars.c
om Tickets: $15 – $20 Suggested Donation
All AgesFull Details: http://
www.reverbnation.com/show/ 9362424
The opening of ice cream parlor Lottie’s Creamery in downtown Walnut Creek has been long anticipated and the moment has finally arrived. Lottie’s Creamery is having a soft opening (with limited hours) this Thursday, February 21st. According to their website the following flavors will be available during the opening:
I’m going to try my usual chocolate followed by Peanut Butter Chocolate-Peanut when I go. What flavor do you want to try?
According to the owner most if not all of the above flavors should be available on Thursday, with the complete list available shortly. The dairy is organic and eggs are cage free. However, what really sets Lottie’s apart from other ice cream shops is the in-house pasteurizer that will be used to make the ice cream. I was able to get some preview photos of the inside so take a look:
Check out more photos of the inside including the pasteurizer after the jump…
Back last August I noted the opening of Tulip in Lafayette and it looks like the baby and kids boutique has closed. The past week the store has been papered over and there is now a shut sign in front. I hope this is a temporary shutdown and they’ll reopen soon. Otherwise it’ll join the closure of nearby children stores Giggle and The Right Start.
Photo courtesy of Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
1931 First Avenue, Walnut Creek
Sunday, February 17th, 2013
3:30 – 5:30pm | FREE with $7 admission
Discover Kenya’s Maasai culture and wildlife with Salaton Ole Ntutu, a Maasai community chief, shaman, warrior and eco-tourism leader, on Sunday, February 17 at Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. From 3:30-5:30 PM, all ages will enjoy Salaton’s stories of growing up from young cow herder to brave warrior, healer and community leader.
Last month I noted that the sushi restaurant opening up on N. Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek where The Pizza Place used to be would be Chinese owned with locations in the South Bay or Peninsula. Well it turns out that the sushi restaurant will be Lafayette’s very own Oyama Sushi located next to Trader Joe’s. They will be opening a second location taking over The Pizza Place as well as next door which used to be a furniture showroom. Word on the street is that there will be a significant upgrade to the entire building facade so I look forward to seeing how this will come out.
Last November I noted that the women’s fashion boutique Francesca’s was opening up in downtown Lafayette and this evening at 5pm will be the soft opening followed by the grand opening tomorrow at 10am on Saturday, February 16th. Located right next to men’s clothing store Venture in the Lafayette Clocktower (along with Patxi’s Pizzeria), Francesca’s will complement the area nicely. They have over 300 stores around the country including locations at the Stoneridge Mall and Bay Street in Emeryville. You can see their online apparel here.
I was able to get a sneak preview of the inside of the store recently and it looks great.
Check out photos of the inside after the jump…
UPDATE: According to the developer’s comments below there will be a Mt. Diablo view from the rooftop dining area!
Last February I posted a preview of the N. Main / Mt. Diablo corner lot project diagonally across from Neiman Marcus and now there are new renderings of what the proposed project will look like. According to Brian Hirahara from B.H. Development who is developing the property, the plan is for one retail tenant in the corner taking up two stories and a restaurant on the Mt. Diablo side taking up two stories plus a roof deck.
I look forward to finding out which retailer and restaurant open up here. The developer was also responsible for the project across the street anchored by Tiffany and brought the upscale restaurants Sasa and Va de Vi to Walnut Creek so I imagine similarly upscale tenants will open up here as well. What kind of restaurant would you most like to see here? What retailer would work well?
Check out the retractable windows on the 2nd floor:
The current location has an older rendering displayed:
