Beyond the Creek

Ever since the Neiman Marcus Cafe opened up in the new Neiman Marcus department store in downtown Walnut Creek last month, I had been hearing about these delicious Neiman Marcus popovers. And when I read that Neiman Marcus would be participating in Restaurant Week which happened last week, I knew I had to go there. If you look at the photo you might think, so what, it’s just a bread roll, but they are made with eggs to give a totally different taste. To top it off, they offer it with strawberry butter, and it’s not even part of the menu, it’s just included with the meal!

The scallop dish below was delicious:

as was the dessert:

What do all three photos have in common? Yes, the irresistible Neiman Marcus popover. Mmmm, yummy! Has anyone been here yet? Any recommended dishes?

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Previously Crepes Ooh La La, the restaurant that features both sweet and savory crepes, was located at the old meat market where Sasa currently is in downtown Walnut Creek. A few years ago they moved a few blocks away to 1548 Locust St. across the street from the Lesher Center parking garage. You can check out their menu here.

Any fans of this place? What are the must order sweet and savory dishes?

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Right on the heels of Peet’s remodel last month, Starbucks was not to be outdone and closed last week for its remodel. As you can see by the above photo, they moved the cashiers and food section to another wall, and have the coffee prep/serving section where the cashiers used to be. This section no longer extends all the way to the wall, in order to free up space and an extra door at left (out of frame). A long communal wooden table (with  electrical outlets underneath) takes up center space, with smaller tables on the periphery, as well as window seating.

In addition, they have added a high-tech coffee brewing system called Clover. I tried an iced coffee using Clover and it tasted great, although I’m more of a tea drinker so what do I know. Note that this is the only downtown Walnut Creek Starbucks with a Clover machine.

Check out the window seating:

I’m not sure how much of this is marketing-speak, but they have an “exotic, rare & exquisite coffee” section behind the counter:

Overall I think this is a great remodel. It feels more open, with more and varied seating available plus electrical outlets to boot. The Clover machine will be great for coffee lovers, and the bathroom is really nice, too.

I’ve always had problems getting seating in Starbucks, and if I had to take a guess, I think they put in the large communal table to encourage people not to linger as long there as it feels less private. Note the back-less bar stools at the windows, probably not comfortable to stay too long.

Has anyone checked it out yet? Do you like it over Peet’s?

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