With Valentine’s Day less than a week away I was wondering what people’s favorite romantic restaurant is to celebrate the holiday. Am I missing any on the list below? Is it better to just stay home and celebrate another day when it’s less crowded?
With Valentine’s Day less than a week away I was wondering what people’s favorite romantic restaurant is to celebrate the holiday. Am I missing any on the list below? Is it better to just stay home and celebrate another day when it’s less crowded?
Back in June I noted that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf would be opening in the Sprouts Shopping Center in Walnut Creek and while The Habit Burger Grill, Freebirds World Burrito, Subway and all other stores have opened up in the center, judging by the photo above there seem to be some serious delays going on to get Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf opened up. I mean, it’s completely bare. Many people have been looking forward to it opening myself included so I’m eager to see some more progress. Stay tuned…
First the Habit Burger Grill, then Freebirds World Burrito, and now Subway has opened up in the Sprouts Shopping Center in Walnut Creek at Geary and N. Main St. The only remaining place to open is Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf which unfortunately seems to be delayed as it was completely bare when I peeked inside recently.
I have to add my usual rant about parking. If you want to get a feeling what parking in Manhattan is like, try parking at the Sprouts Shopping Center on a weekend during lunchtime. I must have drove around five times without any luck. As usual I parked down the block and walked back.
Just last week I raved about the Danville Deli Domenico’s and now a new deli truck called Pastranomy is going to be offering up Pastrami and corned beef sandwiches at the Walnut Creek farmers market every Sunday. In addition to sandwiches you can also order Best in Show hot dogs as the person who runs Best in Show is managing the truck for Pastranomy. You can check out their menu here or see the truck menu in the photo below:
From Pastranomy’s website:
Pastranomy is where pastrami meets gastronomy, and our commitment to quality and authenticity sets us apart. Our pastrami is made from an authentic, time-honored New York slow-baked recipe. We double-bake our fresh corn-rye bread. We use local and seasonal ingredients wherever possible, including heirloom tomatoes (in season), natural turkey, cage-free eggs, and fresh local produce. Our sandwich meats are slow baked, braised and cooked to perfection.
Has anyone tried them out yet? How’s the pastrami sandwich? What is the best dish to order? Next time I coming before I eat so I can try something out!
In December I noticed a new banner at the Italian restaurant Tomatina in downtown Walnut Creek and it turns out that was a prelude of things to come as their signage is sporting a matching tomato design. Interestingly they also changed the font and went from lowercase to uppercase. Looks great!
A couple of weeks ago I posted some scuttlebutt about a McCormick and Schmick’s opening a new restaurant at the former Petar’s location in downtown Lafayette and it turns out that was pretty close as the son of the McCormick & Schmick’s co-founder, Andrew McCormick, who ran the Marina bar City Tavern will be opening The Cooperage Bar in its place. Diablo Dish notes that, “the space will require an extensive remodel, so McCormick is aiming for a late summer, early fall opening.” According to the post, dishes will, “feature familiar, classic dishes such as oysters Rockefeller, potato skins, crab Louis salad, and plenty of steak and seafood.”
I’m not one to gush about how good a restaurant is but the deli Domenico’s in Danville is possibly the best delicatessen in the East Bay if not the the entire western United States. Being originally from New York I’ve had my share of deli sandwiches and having eaten here numerous times I can say without a doubt that a Domenico’s sandwich is insanely good. It’s so good it’s actually ruined me when I order a sandwich almost anywhere else. I don’t know whether it’s the fresh ingredients, the aioli sauce they shmear on the sandwich or what, but whatever they make is incredibly delicious. You can check out their sandwich menu here and salads here. Has anyone eaten here? What’s your favorite sandwich or salad?
The only possible drawback is everyone else around the area knows how good it is as well so if you go during lunchtime be prepared for a line out the door. The sandwich makers really take their time making the sandwich which can cause delays. Domenico’s has been in business for 20 years now and in addition to sandwiches they also have salads, meats as well as sell wine, pasta and more.
From their website:
In 1993 Joseph Domenico Giacomini and his wife, Sue, opened Domenico’s Delicatessen in downtown Danville. Joe’s father, Leo, had owned a successful Bay Area Italian delicatessen business that Joe grew up in. Joe and Sue have carefully crafted Domenico’s by blending traditional delicatessen favorites with a signature California twist. Fresh and flavorful, with an emphasis on lower fat.
In additon to the deli there is also a cafe next door serving, “Neapolitan style pizza, hot and cold panini sandwiches, espresso, yogurt and, of course fabulous gelato.”
Check out the inside:
Check out a closeup of two of their sandwiches, yum!
Domenico’s is located at 682 Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville.
Last week I noted that Canvas and Cabernet, the paint and sip studio would be opening over the weekend in downtown Walnut Creek on Locust St. It turns out that was a bit premature but they are planning for a February 2nd opening. In the meantime I was able to get a sneak preview inside. As you can see from the photo above one wall will be decorated with various art pieces done at the studio. Note that this is just a preview, more work is being done on the interior before it opens next week.
Check out part of the front display:
Check out the pendant lighting from Neiman Marcus as well as the wood stained bar area:
In addition to alcoholic drinks there will be deliveries made from Harvest Market around the corner and another part of the store will have vintage goods for sale. A children’s area will be in a separate section where kids can create their own paintings.
I look forward to checking out how this looks when they open. Canvas and Cabernet is located at 1421 Locust St. in downtown Walnut Creek, across the street from the Walnut Creek Yacht Club.
Photo by Flickr user daecon
The Contra Costa Times reported that the fast food restaurant Carl’s Jr. will be closing today in Walnut Creek at the Citrus Marketplace shopping center at Oak Grove Road and Citrus Avenue. A Carl’s Jr spokesperson noted, “that lack of a drive-through window, combined with “increasing business costs” and the expiration of the building’s lease, prompted the Carpenteria-based company to close its Walnut Creek store.”
I’ve recently learned that CREAM (Cookies Rule Everything Around Me) will be opening a new location in downtown Walnut Creek this summer. Known for their ice cream cookie sandwiches, CREAM has quite a following in Berkeley. I can’t wait to try this place out! Has anyone tried this before?
From their website:
When we opened CREAM, we embarked on our business venture as a family. We based our business model on four principles. We decided to adhere to them throughout our introduction of this great concept.
The four guiding principles can be summarized as follows; Our first principle was premium products. Top notch Sandwiches made with superior ingredients. The second was to keep our product affordable, thus shattering the old business rule of high quality equals high prices. Third, we wanted every consumer to leave delighted not only with our product, but with our service. Our employees treat every customer with unconditional respect and gratitude. The fourth and final principle we cemented into our business model is our atmosphere. We wanted to have a very relaxed and fun environment.
Looks like downtown Walnut Creek is becoming ice cream central. San Francisco Creamery and Gelato Naia are here with Lottie’s Creamery opening soon and now CREAM. Stay tuned for updates on location and construction progress.