Beyond the Creek

Back to the Table Cooking School (& Production Kitchen) Now Open in Lafayette

July 18, 2012 11:30 am

I noted last week that Back to the Table Cooking School in Lafayette was opening on July 12th, and now that they have opened I was able to get a couple of photos of the inside. The photo above shows where the cooking instruction takes place, after which everyone will head to a giant dining table nearby to break bread and discuss the cooking class with the entire class and instructor.

Check out the giant dining table:

This looks like a great setup for cooking classes. Has anyone been yet? I’m definitely interested in signing up for a class.

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Art at the Market – Shelly’s Face & Body Painting at Walnut Creek Farmers Market

July 18, 2012 8:30 am

If you’ve been to the downtown Walnut Creek farmers market you’ve probably seen Shelly’s booth offering face and arm painting to children’s delight. She’s been at it for over 6 years now, way back when the market was at the library (and she was starting college). I used to get harassed by my two year old to get painted years ago when Shelly first started, and even now she loves it. As does her younger brother. Her work is really amazing, and at $2 per painting is reasonably priced as well.

Check out her fun artwork below:

Apparently she’ll be offering a kids drawing workshop at the Lafayette Community Center at the end of July. Stay tuned for details…

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Lady K and the Kings of Swing to Perform at Moraga Summer Concert July 19th

July 17, 2012 4:30 pm

The free Moraga Summer Concert series takes place at the Moraga Commons Park on Thursdays, starts at 6:30 pm and ends at 8:30 pm.

From the Lady K and the Kings of Swing website:

Deeply entrenched in jazz and swing, immersed in the history of their craft and with years of experience as veteran jazz musicians, Lady K and the Kings of Swing is a 17-piece Frank Sinatra-style big band recreating the sounds of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Count Basie, Gershwin, Kenton, Sinatra and beyond.

The Kings of Swing has become known as a fantastic San Francisco Bay Area big band, performing their brand of music for all manner of occasions, from Weddings and Private Parties to Corporate Events.

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Sprouts Grocery Store Signage Appears – Opening Sept. 5th in Walnut Creek

July 17, 2012 11:30 am

Back in May I noted on the progress of the Sprouts Market Shopping Center, and it looks like they’re making some serious progress. New signage has appeared, and according to a comment on the previous post, it’s scheduled to be open on Sept. 5th. With Habit Burger, Freebirds World Burrito and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf opening as well, this is going to be a cool shopping center to grab a bite to eat!

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Window Art of the Day

July 17, 2012 8:30 am

Spotted at Cypress restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek, in celebration of Bastille Day on July 14th.

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Arts in Bloom Visual Arts Faire & Orinda Idol Concert-in-the-Park July 17th

July 16, 2012 4:30 pm

From the Orinda Arts Council website:

~ 5:00 pm Arts in Bloom Visual Arts Faire

Artist Exhibits & Art Sales~Painting & Drawing, Sculpture, Jewelry & Decorative Art

Visual & Performing Arts and Food Lovers Silent Auction

Kids Arts & Crafts Activities

Food Concessions From Loard’s

Net Proceeds to Benefit The Orinda Arts Council

~ 6:30 pm Orinda Idol Concert-in-the-Park

Sneak Preview of the 2012 Orinda Idol Finals on September 11th at the Orinda Theatre

Featuring Performances by 2012 Orinda Idol Finalists K-12th Grade

Presented by The Orinda Arts Council

Sponsored by the Orinda Community Center Auxiliary

Bring your family, friends, a picnic, and enjoy an evening of visual and performing arts in the park to benefit The Orinda Arts Council, with the support of the Orinda Community Center Auxiliary, sponsor of Orinda’s Concert-in-the-Park series, Halloween Tot Parade, Holiday Bazaar, and fundraising for the Orinda Community Center & Park.

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Kinder’s Meats & Deli Coming to Parkside Dr. Walnut Creek in August

July 16, 2012 11:30 am

Kinder’s Meats & Deli, the popular meat and deli located on Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Walnut Creek and elsewhere in the East Bay, is opening a new location at 1293 Parkside Dr. in Walnut Creek next month. It will be located near the Shanghai Gourmet restaurant.

From their website:

Three generations of hard work and family pride began in 1946 when John Kinder opened his first meat market in the Bay Area town of San Pablo, California. In 1985 Kinder’s was relocated to Concord, California, and the business became a popular neighborhood meat market, deli and catering company – not to mention, the only place in town to get a marinated ball tip steak sandwich. After 65 years of growth, Kinder’s now boasts 15 locations throughout Northern California and Nevada with both family and franchise locations. Kinder’s is also gearing up for explosive growth in expanding their proprietary line of bbq sauces, marinades and more in retail market across the country.

How does Kinder’s compare to Morucci’s?

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Getting Parkingjacked in Downtown Walnut Creek

July 16, 2012 8:30 am

Over the weekend I had my first ever parking-jacking incident at my favorite downtown Walnut Creek parking garage, the Broadway Pointe Parking Garage, off Duncan St (near Starbucks). I made it to the 2nd level when I noticed a family getting ready to leave in a corner spot. So I parked my car, turned the blinker on indicating I was waiting for the spot, and waited. And waited. After about five minutes, they finally pulled out. In order to let them exit, I needed to wait until they went first. As soon as they left, a car from the upper level zoomed straight into the spot, leaving me staring in disbelief. I made a feeble honk to let them know what I thought of their behavior. This was not a case of a few seconds difference where there could be some kind of misunderstanding. I was right next to the spot with blinker on for five minutes.

Luckily a different spot opened up nearby which I quickly snagged. However, I was somewhat close to the car that took the spot I had been waiting for, and pondered for a moment whether I should just leave, or approach them and ask them what they were thinking. I looked over, and nobody was there so I thought they may have left. I walked to the end of the garage about to open the door to leave when I took one last look. That’s when I saw one guy standing there, looking at me. If I were younger, with an older car, I might have approached and asked him to explain himself, but I know better now, and left nodding my head at the poor behavior of some people.

Has anyone ever taken a parking spot you’ve been waiting for? If so, what did you do?

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3 Walnut Creek City Council Seats Up for Election – Nomination Process Begins July 16th

July 14, 2012 7:00 am

photo by Flickr user Mr. Wizzard

From the City of Walnut Creek webpage:

At the November 6, 2012 statewide general election, the City of Walnut Creek will have three (3) City Council seats up for election: those currently held by Mayor Bob Simmons (completing his 1^st term), Mayor Pro Tem Kish Rajan (completing his 1^st term) and Councilmember Gary Skrel (completing his 3^rd term). Mayors in Walnut Creek are not directly elected, but rather serve on a rotational basis as appointed annually by their fellow council members. All council members serve four-year terms.

Persons interested in running may pull nomination papers and receive all the other necessary forms and information for City candidacy from Walnut Creek’s City Clerk, Suzie Martinez. Forms are available at the opening of the nomination period on July 16, 2012. It takes approximately an hour to review the information with the Clerk, so appointments are encouraged and are being taken now for the 16^th. You may make an appointment by calling the City Clerk’s office at 925-943-5819.

Nomination papers are due back to the Clerk by 5 p.m. Friday, August 10, 2012. In the event an incumbent does not file, the nomination period is extended to Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 5 p.m.

To be eligible to run for these offices a candidate must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident and registered voter in the City of Walnut Creek. Please call the City Clerk’s office if you have any questions about eligibility or the nomination process.

I never realized that the mayor of Walnut Creek is not elected directly, does anyone know why they are appointed by the city council instead?

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Walnut Creek Knife Robbery May be Related to Pleasanton Robbery

July 13, 2012 10:00 pm

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Yesterday the Walnut Creek police reported on a robbery with a knife that happened in the Broadway Plaza parking garage next to Macy’s, and the Pleasanton Weekly points out that it may be related to a similar incident that happened on July 6th at the Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton.

The woman had just arrived at the mall, and as she opened her trunk to get the items for return, two young women jumped her. One tried to grab her purse, while the other made a grab for the bag.

Check out the complete article at Pleasanton Weekly here.

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