The Art of Shaving is closed according to a sign blocking every window and door in the Broadway Plaza location in Walnut Creek. It says, “New Look Coming Soon”, I wonder what they’re planning. Note the lockbox on the door handle, this may take a while.
Back in January I was the first to note that the Berkeley ice cream shop CREAM (Cookies Rule Everything Around Me) would be opening in Walnut Creek and now the location has been pinpointed to 1372 N. Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek, previously the Contra Costa Democratic headquarters and before that the jewelry store Master Diamond. This is a block away from the recently opened gourmet ice cream shop Lottie’s Creamery as well as Gelateria Naia, not to mention San Francisco Creamery on Locust St. so there will be lots of refreshing choices available this summer.
They also have a contest for a chance to win $50, although the rules they wrote on their Facebook page differ slightly from the note in their window:
Participate in our Scavenger Hunt, find the new CREAM location and upload a photo of you with the “Coming Soon” sign on Instagram with the Hashtag #IFoundCREAMWalnutCreek for your chance to win a $50 Gift Card!
Last May I noted the opening of the “cookies and confection” store Plumeria Flours on Newell Avenue (located in the back of the strip mall where Pacific Bay Coffee and George’s Giant Hamburgers are located). Recently I finally had a chance to drop by while they were open and thought the store design was really interesting. Check out the photos below to see what it looks like on the inside.
As for the food, I tried the popcorn which is baked, unlike most other popcorn stores, a square cupcake as well as purchasing some chocolate covered oreo cookies for a gift. Everything tasted great but the chocolate covered oreo not only tasted amazing, it’s quite a unique gift. Just by looking at it looks like a nicely decorated chocolate dessert which is nice by itself, but once people realized it’s actually a chocolate covered oreo they couldn’t believe it. Not one person had ever heard of that before. And everyone loved them.
Check out their website here. The owners told me they are looking to get a stand at the Walnut Creek farmers market once space becomes available. I hope they get one so I can try some chocolate pop rocks.
Check out more photos of the inside after the jump…
Write a poem that captures a
special connection you’ve experienced
(or Want to experience) With nature
The Muir Heritage Land Trust launches a
poetry contest that is now open to area
youth (ages 13-17) and adults (18 & up).
Entries can be submitted to MHLT’s Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/muirheritagelandtrust
Not on Facebook? Email poetry to:
angela@muirheritagelandtrust.org
The Downtown Walnut Creek Association has a rare mention of a store going out of business. Sherman Clay will be having a private liquidation on April 18th and 19th, with the public liquidation following on April 20th and 21st, Sherman Clay is located at 1605 Bonanza Street in downtown Walnut Creek.
Ruth Bancroft Garden
1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek
Saturday, April 13th, 2013
10:00am – 3:00pm (9am members) | Free
Members Only Pre-Sale and Silent Auction: 9am-10am
With coffee and bagels. Memberships will be for sale at the door
Public Plant Sale: 10am-3pm
Free Admission All Day
Garden open until 4pmThe Bay Area’s Best Selection of Drought Tolerant Plants for Local Gardens
Be inspired by Ruth’s world-class garden
Learn from expert staff, docents, and nursery propagators
Get everything you need to create a drought tolerant paradise
Support a local nonprofit organizationMembers Only Silent Auction Items:
Echeveria agavoides ‘Romeo’
Echeveria ‘Lace’
Echeveria xichuensis
Arctostaphylos ‘Ruth Bancroft’
Agave victoriae-reginae choice specimen
Tylecodon dinteri bonsai specimen
Pelargonium carnosum bonsai specimen
Dyckia ‘Silver Superstar’ specimen
Euphorbia aff. millii specimen
Gymnocalycium saglionis specimenFeatured plants for the Spring Plant Sale:
Agave ovatifolia
Agave ‘Snow Glow’
Agave utahensis var. nevadensis
Agave victoriae-reginae
Aloe capitata var. quartziticola
Aloe ‘Viper’
Arctostaphylos ‘Warren Roberts’
Echinopsis terscheckii
Echeveria agavoides (heirloom hybrids)
Echeveria colorata ‘Mexican Giant’
Echeveria ‘Moon Dust’
Euphorbia esculenta
Dudleya brittonii
Leucadendron ‘Ebony’
I’m always on the lookout for interesting food items so being that the supermarket Fresh & Easy is British owned (Tesco), I decided to check them out and see if there were any food items from the United Kingdom that might not be readily available elsewhere. I did find a small section available. As you can see from the photo below they sell Shepherd;s Pie in a jar and various HP sauces among other things.
Since Tesco may decide to close or sell-off Fresh & Easy this summer, you may want to stock up on these British items while you can. Any recommendations on what to get?
By the way, is it OK to call these goods ‘British’? I remember asking someone whether they were British and they replied that they were English, and furthermore, nobody was ‘British’. You could be Scottish, English etc but not British.
Walnut Creek Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
N. Main St. & Cypress St, Walnut Creek
Saturday, April 27th & Sunday, 28th, 2013
10:00am – 5:00pm (6pm on Sat) | Free
Check out this year’s participating restaurants for Walnut Creek restaurant week which begins April 15th and runs through the 21st. I wonder what Ottavio will offer. The Va de Vi menu looks enticing.
From their FAQ:
What is Walnut Creek Restaurant Week?
Walnut Creek Restaurant Week gives local food aficionados and visitors an opportunity to enjoy a prix fixe lunch for $10/$20 and dinner for $20/$30/$40 at participating Walnut Creek restaurants.How Does a Guest Take Part in Walnut Creek Restaurant Week?
There are no passes, tickets or coupons. Instead, diners simply visit their favorite participating restaurants throughout the week to enjoy the special prix fixe menus. However, it is strongly recommended that diners make reservations in advance by contacting the participating restaurants directly.
