Freebirds World Burrito Opening in Walnut Creek on Dec. 17th

December 11, 2012 11:30 am

Back in May I noted that Freebirds World Burrito would be opening in the Sprouts Shopping Center in Walnut Creek and they will now be opening on December 17th. There will be a soft opening event on December 15th from 11-2pm and 5-7pm where $5 gets you an entree, chips and drink with all proceeds going to a food bank and other charities.

Check out the inside:

Get there early for a chance to get free burritos for a year:

The first 25 people in line will get free burritos for a year (one per week), and apparently this is so popular that people will be camping out about now to get one of the coveted sports in line. Freebirds is located in the Sprouts Shopping Center in Walnut Creek next to the Habit Burger Grill.

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15th Annual Dungeness Crab Party at Walnut Creek Yacht Club on Dec. 19th

December 3, 2012 4:30 pm

From the Walnut Creek Yacht Club:

Wednesday December 19, 2012

AND

Monday December 31, 2012
New Year’s Eve

reservation times are

5:30, 6:00, 8:00, 8:30

family style seating & service

Menu

Calamari Antipasti
salami, olives, pickled vegetables, balsamic syrup

Warm Acme Levain

Iceberg & Local Albacore Confit Salad

roasted red pepper, lemon-oregano dressing

Local Dungeness Crab
chilled, regatta fries, coleslaw, cocktail sauce, and lemon aioli

Triple TCHO Chocolate Brownie
warm peanut butter-caramel sauce vanilla bean ice cream

roasted salted peanuts

$55.00 dollars per person
tax and gratuity not included

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Judging Restaurants – Nordstrom Cafe in Walnut Creek

December 3, 2012 11:30 am

Nordstrom Cafe is located on the third floor of Nordstrom next to the Children’s section in Walnut Creek. You can check their menu out here. It’s been a while since I’ve been but when I did go I used to get the California Panini or Blue Cheese & Pear Salad. Any new recommended dishes to check out? As you can see by the menu it’s not as pricey or fancy as the Neiman Marcus Cafe.

From the Walnut Creek Nordstrom website:

Our contemporary food marketplace is perfect for a casual meal, offering wonderful menu selections to satisfy a discerning palate. Beer and wine are available.

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Lafayette Farmer’s Market Closed until May

November 27, 2012 11:30 am

Back in June I noted the opening of the new Lafayette Farmer’s Market in the BART parking lot which was supposed to be open year-round, but instead will be closed until May due to poor attendance. Thanks to a reader for pointing this out. So what happened? Is it due to not knowing about the market? Or something else like higher prices or less variety? Read the reader’s note about the Lafayette market:

Just a quick email to lament the seasonal closing of the Lafayette Farmer’s Market, which was new to the city in its expanded form and location at the back parking lot of Lafayette Bart. It was really a very high quality farmer’s market with excellent vendors and prepared foods. The original intent was for it to stay open year round, but because it was so poorly patronized, they decided to close up shop for the winter and it will now reopen in April. When it opened in June, the entire parking lot was full of vendors from end to end. By the time it closed, I’d estimate about 2/3 or maybe 1/2 of the vendors remained. All of the vendors my family regularly patronized said that it just wasn’t drawing the crowd they needed to justify staying open year round. One vendor said that the city of Lafayette prohibited signage that would have encouraged people to wander in off the street. However, I never really saw a lot of advertising effort from the market’s promoters in publications or city associations that I’m familiar with, so I’m not sure what the reason is for the low turn out

I am so disappointed about this because it was really a stellar market and a great Sunday morning family activity — head and shoulders above the Orinda and Moraga markets. In my opinion, it ranked up there with the Claremont DMV market in Oakland. I thought it brought a level of sophistication to Lafayette that wasn’t there before in large part, and it made me miss living west of the tunnel a little less. I do really hope that people patronize it in droves come spring time, so we don’t lose it altogether.

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Yogurt Castle Closes in Walnut Creek

November 21, 2012 11:30 am

Looks like the yogurt institution Yogurt Castle in downtown Walnut Creek at the corner of N. California Blvd. and Bonanza St. has served its last dessert as it’s been closed for about a month now. The yogurt machines are still inside but I’m not optimistic Thanks to a reader for pointing this out who writes, “It has been there for years, back when the Festival Cinema was where McCovey’s is now and before all the other yogurt options hit town.” Who misses Yogurt Castle? Where is the best frozen yogurt in Walnut Creek?

Check out the machines still inside:

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Le Gateau Elegant Opens in Walnut Creek

November 15, 2012 11:30 am

Back in August I noted that the Martinez bakery Le Gateau Elegant was relocating to Walnut Creek, and as of a couple of days ago they are now open in the Terrace Shopping Center (where Pacific Bay Coffee and George’s Giant Hamburgers) on Newell Ave. I had a chance to check out the bakery in Martinez while on jury duty, and the decor is very similar in Walnut Creek.

While there of course I tried the chocolate chip cookie for comparison purposes and it was good. Take a look at some of the pastries below, they look delicious. From what I hear they already have a big following among nearby Kaiser employees.

Although they offer plenty of bakery items in front, I think they have a huge wedding and specialty cake business behind the scenes as well. You can see their cake options here.

More photos of the inside including gingerbread man cookies after the jump…

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Chick-fil-A Opens in Walnut Creek

November 13, 2012 11:30 am

Back in July I noted that Chick-fil-A would be opening in Walnut Creek and last Thursday they finally opened. I had a chance to stop by on Saturday and it was absolutely packed. I’ve noted how crowded The Habit Burger Grill gets but this was nothing compared to Chick-fil-A. Even with more seating, the line wrapped throughout the restaurant and out the door despite what the Chick-fil-A president had to say about ‘traditional’ marriage. There were no protests on Saturday when I checked it out mid-day. Note that I was here strictly for the opening to see what it was all about for this post.

I also posted a video of Larry David in the Palestinian Chicken episode on Curb Your Enthusiasm which I thought was particularly apt in this situation. However having tried the chicken strips I have to say that the Larry Davids of the world don’t have to worry about this dilemma. The chicken strips I tried were mushy. When I think of chicken sandwiches my baseline is Bakesale Betty in Oakland. Now that’s a chicken sandwich. Of course, this is a fast food joint so maybe the comparison isn’t fair.

Chicken strips, potato waffle fries, and Chick-fil-A sauce:

The registers:

The car in the playroom is cool:

The most interesting thing about my experience at Chick-fil-A is that they offer table service without a number. Keep in mind that the restaurant was absolutely packed. I get to the register, order and they ask my name. I asked for my number and they told me I can sit wherever I wanted to. I asked the cashier how they did it and she said she’s physic. So I go find a seat in the corner hidden away, and sure enough another woman brings me my food. “How did you know to bring that to me?” She replied, “We know these things”. I thought that was pretty amazing but wondered how they did it. Were there video cameras or something recording where I sit? It turns out they note something about the customer in order to make them easier to find. Apparently it works almost all the time. In my case I was wearing a green jacket, and was by myself, which narrowed it down to one possibility, me. Pretty clever.

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Canvas and Cabernet “Paint and Sip” Studio Coming to Downtown Walnut Creek

November 8, 2012 11:30 am

It looks like a new place called “Canvas and Cabernet” is opening up in downtown Walnut Creek on Locust St. across from the Walnut Creek Yacht Club and Pyramid Alehouse. From what I can surmise, Canvas and Cabernet is a “paint and sip” shop where people make art while enjoying a glass of wine of two. Apparently it’s becoming quite popular throughout the country. Has anyone ever been to one of these paint and sip studios? How was it?

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Stelle Bistro Opening in Walnut Creek

November 7, 2012 11:30 am

Stelle Bistro is opening up in the old Chili’s location at 1403 Locust St. this month according to Diablo Dish. They go on to note that they will offer “Italian, Continental fusion” cuisine. If the name Stelle Bistro sounds familiar to you, that may be because they used to be on N. Main St. as Caffe delle Stella, now occupied by the Greek restaurant Opa! (That exclamation point is part of the name, I’m not trying to be emphatic or anything). 🙂

Did anyone ever try the original Caffe delle Stella? How was it?

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House of Bagels in Downtown Walnut Creek Offers Smart Phone Menu

October 31, 2012 11:30 am

Looks like House of Bagels on Locust St. in downtown Walnut Creek is on the cutting edge of technology, offering up its menu as a QR code displayed prominently on its front door. What I would like to know is whether anyone has ever scanned a QR code? Is this really useful?

On a side note, how are the bagels at this House of Bagels? Is this the same owner as in San Francisco? What’s the best type? I tend to prefer everything bagels myself.

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