
A couple of weeks ago L & L Hawaiian BBQ closed in the Pleasant Hill shopping center at 60 Crescent Dr. You’ll need to travel to Pleasanton or Martinez for the closest locations of L & L.


A couple of weeks ago L & L Hawaiian BBQ closed in the Pleasant Hill shopping center at 60 Crescent Dr. You’ll need to travel to Pleasanton or Martinez for the closest locations of L & L.


Pot, meet kettle. Yesterday Berkleyside reported that the owner of Cream in Berkeley is requesting that the city “revoke the permit for a new ice cream take-out window” located across the street from Cream in Berkeley. According to an appeal filed in February, one of the reasons given is “a second nearby business selling ice cream and cookies would mean market saturation and be detrimental to Cream”.
Cream in Walnut Creek is opening a block away from Lottie’s Creamery and within a short walking distance to Gelateria Naia and San Francisco Creamery.

Over the past year it seems as if every baby store has closed in downtown Walnut Creek and Lafayette. Day One, Giggle, Tulip and The Right Start have all closed. I was worried what might happen to the toy store Five Little Monkeys in downtown Walnut Creek but it turns out that Walnut Creek is their second highest grossing location after their Albany location and they plan on opening a new store in Burlingame.
Located at 1366 N Main St. in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, Five Little Monkeys offers a huge selection of high quality toys at all price points. Having two small kids I’ve shopped here a lot and have always found interesting toys to get with the help of the employees. For birthday party gifts I just tell them whether it’s for a boy or girl and the age and they know exactly the types of toys to recommend. As a special offer to readers, mention “Beyond the Creek” through May 31st, 2013 and you can receive 15% off your purchase, may not be combined with any other offer and is only valid for the Walnut Creek location.
Check out the inside:

Photos of the old school toys and baby section after the jump…

Heather Farm Park
301 N San Carlos Dr, Walnut Creek
Saturday, June 1st – Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
11:00am – 7:00pm (6:00pm Sunday) | FreeIt’s official! Slap on some sunscreen, bring your boogie and get your grove on. Experience the sights, sounds, and scents of the art & wine festival voted “best outdoor event” by the contra Costa Times. The summer season officially kicks off at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek on June 1 & 2 with the 32nd Annual Walnut Creek Chamber Art & Wine Festival. Feel the vibe…two stages of live music, over 200 arts & crafts booths, food to please any pallet and the coolest kids area ever…along with free admission and free parking…what are you waiting for?

Last week I had the opportunity to check out six kitchens on the Lafayette Juniors Kitchen Tour so I have decided to make Kitchen of the Day posts to show off some of these gorgeous kitchens around Lafayette. Held every year in May, the Lafayette Juniors Kitchen Tour is incredibly well organized with volunteer helpers stationed throughout. For those embarking on a remodel of their own homes or are curious how nice homes in this area can be, this tour is a must-see! In addition there are several charity recipients such as New Day for Children so it’s for a good cause.
This kitchen in located on a hillside in Lafayette and has amazing views of Mt. Diablo. As you can see from the above photo, there is plenty of island seating and prep areas. Some of my favorite parts of this kitchen are the marble countertops and pendant lighting which you can see in the photo below.

Photos of the dog food bowl drawer and view outside after the jump…

Hallmark is closing at the Moraga Shopping Center at 1460 Moraga Rd by the end of June so stop by for discounted items throughout the store. I’ve never seen so much floor space devoted to greeting cards in my life.

Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
Friday, May 31st – Saturday, June 1st, 2013Join Smuin Ballet for Spring Bouquet, our Spring Dance Series, featuring an invigorating lineup of fresh choreography.
The West Coast Premiere of Helen Pickett’s effervescent Petal, danced to music by Philip Glass and Thomas Montgomery Newman, was lauded as “the perfect piece for spring” by Atlanta Magazine.
Bay Area audiences will also get their first look at Darrell Grand Moultrie’s JAZZIN’, a sultry ballet driven by the tunes of jazz greats Wynton Marsalis, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Andy Razaf.
Romance blooms anew with Michael Smuin’s Chants d’Auvergne, a series of pieces set to charming French folk songs arranged by Joseph Canteloube.

Corner Bakery Cafe is opening on June 3rd in the former Yan Can Asian Bistro location in the downtown Pleasant Hill shopping center. Check out their menu here. Anyone have favorite dishes to recommend?
From their website:
We started as a little bread bakery, supplying freshly baked bread to happy customers around town. People loved our breads so much, we couldn’t help but evolve into a cafe where we could serve equally remarkable sandwiches. This, of course, led to delightful sweets, savory panini, fresh salads, and hearty bowls of soups and pasta.
The inside is almost ready:

This is a wide shot of the location:

Corner Bakery Cafe is located at 35 Crescent Drive in Pleasant Hill.

Last month I posted about missing trees in front of the Apple Store on N. Main St. and now new trees have been planted. Glad to see a little bit of nature added back into the city. Does anyone know what kind of trees these are?

Shadelands Ranch Museum
2660 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek
Sunday, June 9th, 2013
9:00am – 4:00pm | FreeThis annual event will be held on Sunday, June 9, 2013. Dozens of dealers offer a fascinating variety of antiques, art, and crafts for sale on the grounds of the Museum. In addition, various food and beverage vendors will be on the grounds. Admission and parking are free. It’s a fun outing for the entire family!
