Spotted at Jamba Juice in downtown Pleasant Hill.
1376 N. Main St, Walnut Creek
A new wine bar is coming to downtown Walnut Creek on N. Main St. where Papyrus used to be. The public license listed at this address indicates that the owners are of the The Hidden Vine Wine Bar in San Francisco. Check out their website here. Stay tuned…
664 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Danville (photo courtesy Melo’s)
The Italian restaurant Melo’s Pizza & Pasta is coming to Danville where Pasta Gondola used to be on San Ramon Valley Blvd. This will be their fourth location after Pleasant Hill, Brentwood and Livermore. Check out their Pleasant Hill menu here to get an idea of what will be offered.
According to the owner there will be additional offerings for the Danville location with the possibility of a full bar (in additon to beer and wine):
We will be doing the same NY style pizza that we’re known for but this location will feature a dome hearth oven where we will be doing Napoletana ish style pizza as well. The rest of our menu will have much in common with our other locations but we’re planning on revamping it a bit to cater to the community of Danville so expect some new dishes.
Has anyone tried their NY style pizza? As a pizza fan I can’t wait to try this place out!
Inside construction:
(photo courtesy Melo’s)
100 Railroad Ave, Danville
A new ice cream shop called Crafts Creamery featuring ice cream made with the help of liquid nitrogen is coming to downtown Danville this fall. According to this Shop Danville newsletter there will be more than 30 flavors including dairy-free options. Check out their website here. Is this the first liquid nitrogen ice cream place in Danville?
Ygnacio Valley Rd. and Oak Grove Rd.
The Contra Costa Times recently reported that the Orchards Safeway development complex in the Shadelands Business Park in Walnut Creek has been officially approved after a resident’s appeal was denied. The article noted that a bocce-themed restaurant may be in the plans and taking a look at the renderings of the official Orchards website shows one rendering which looks awfully like bocce courts in the back.
A source familiar with the plan indicates that Campo Di Bocce, an Italian restaurant + bocce facility with locations in Los Gatos and Livermore may be opening in the Orchards. Check out the Livermore menu here. Their bocce page indicates pricing is, “$12.50 per person for 1.5 hours on the court for parties of less than 12 people.”
From their website:
Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos is a family owned Italian restaurant and United States Bocce Federation affiliated Bocce Club located in the beautiful town of Los Gatos. The fundamental building blocks for first class bocce clubs in the United States, our Los Gatos location opened its doors in 1997. The first and premiere bocce and dining entertainment facility of its kind, Campo di Bocce is the brain child of Bocce Aficionado, Tom Albanese. In his quest to create a place for food, friends, fun and of course bocce, Tom, has created the ideal location for any family gathering, corporate outing, rehearsal dinner, wedding or simply a venue to enjoy a glass of wine after a long work week.
1320 Locust St, Walnut Creek
Back in June we learned that the building that will house Veggie Grill in downtown Walnut Creek had been completely gutted and things are progressing slowly but surely as the roof is back on and also note that two large openings have been added to the side to allow more light in which is great. I had a chance to try out Veggie Grill when I visited Southern California this summer and it was delicious and the interior looked amazing. Can’t wait to try this out when it opens! Check out their menu here.
1276 S. California Blvd, Walnut Creek
Although there was anticipation for a July opening, the build your own pizza place Project Pie is not open yet. At least the temporary signage is up in downtown Walnut Creek so hopefully it won’t be long before they’re open. Check out their menu here.
71 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette
American Kitchen opened last Monday in downtown Lafayette and when I stopped by this weekend it was packed both inside and out with lots of people checking out what’s turning out to be a flourishing of newly opened eateries within downtown Lafayette. Although I was tempted to go with my usual burger, being a fan of fried chicken thanks to Oakland’s Bakesale Betty I decided to go with a fried chicken sandwich with coleslaw on a bun. Pickled beets and carrots were included as a side. I loved the cornmeal polenta crust on the juicy Mary’s chicken tenders and look forward to trying the burger next time. Actually, there’s a lot on the menu I want to try out. Has anyone tried this place out yet? What do you recommend? Check out American Kitchen on Facebook here.
Bar:
Photos of the fried chicken sandwich and the inside after the jump…
1273 Locust St, Walnut Creek
The frozen yogurt shop Coco Swirl has joined the ice cream bandwagon in downtown Walnut Creek with new ice cream doughnut sandwiches, just in time for the end of the dog days of summer. Interestingly, I just learned that Coco Swirl only has two locations, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. I always thought they were a big franchise.
3422 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
With word that Bonehead’s Texas BBQ is coming to Lafayette, replacing beloved Bo’s Barbecue, I’ve been wondering where is the best place to get bbq in this area. What is your favorite bbq spot? What about if Oakland/Berkeley/San Francisco is included?