Chicken and the Farm on Boulevard

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There is a food truck called Chicken and the Farm on Boulevard Way in Saranap that will also have a brick-and-mortar shop next to it. They are known for their sauces and have been making the rounds at festivals and racing events. They typically dress up their food truck area with plants and a faux grass to make it cozy.

I gave it a try recently and thought it was quite good (though very rich!). Menu items include their famous bone-in wings, chicken sandwiches (and other meat sandwiches), salads, loaded fries, and small sides like cauliflower bites. It looks like the brick and mortar store (The Farmstand) will open this year, with the food truck parked in front of it. They are not always open, so check the website for Days & Times. It is worth a try!

Their concept is simple: bring the best of the farm directly to your plate, with a menu inspired by the variety and abundance found on a farm and celebrating those flavors. Aesthetically, they definitely hit the mark. There are a lot of fresh and colorful vegetables incorporated into many dishes, and you can tell there is no mass production of ingredients going on.

I tried the the chicken tenders and he worked his magic with the sauce – it was his recommendation and I just let it flow.

Next time you’re in that part of Walnut Creek, give Chicken and the Farm a try. Or find them at their next event, wherever and whenever that may be – usually at the Lafayette Art & Wine, but there will be a line, so just mosey on over to 1322 Boulevard Way!

All The Restaurants Want To Come To Walnut Creek

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“When you look at the East Bay, Walnut Creek is the center point of that entire region. And Broadway Plaza is the bub of the whole retail and shopping experience.” – John Duggan, owner of Original Joe’s, as quoted by SFGate

According to SFGate, Broadway Plaza is the newest hotspot for San Francisco and Oakland restaurants that want to move or expand into the suburbs. As locals, we understand the allure of our hometown outdoor mall, but did you know about 6 million people visit it per year? No wonder everyone wants in!

Original Joe’s plans to open its East Bay location across from Macy’s in Broadway Plaza in April, becoming the next transplant to a town that now boasts more than 150 restaurants, according to the Walnut Creek Downtown Association. That’s both a good and bad thing.

Local business owners, according to the SFGate article, are concerned about oversaturation and being priced out of town. There’s also always the risk of the restaurant boom going bust. I’m no expert in this area, but I have lived here for 25 years and have never once thought there would be a “bust” of any kind downtown. As long as I can remember, it has been growing, growing, growing! Covid was the exception, however we do often see one come and then go – it has to have good food and service or it won’t survive.

*Food and drinks at Sipeos in Broadway Plaza (Credit: Hardy Wilson/Sipeos Cafe and Bar, via SFGate)*

As the article lays out, there are dozens of options for every type of cuisine, plus new and innovative concepts coming to our little town every month. And Broadway Plaza may be the engine that makes it all run, but our downtown is super walkable and there are great restaurants all over the downtown map. It is a restauranteur’s paradise! Some of the newer ones that have recently popped up, not in and around Broadway Plaza are Daryoush on Locust, a Persian restaurant – has anyone been? Dads BBQ in the Rossmoor Shopping Center – heard some good things and the food truck Chicken & Biscuits on Boulevard – hear rave reviews, drove by last night at 7 pm, was going to try it, but it was all dark and the truck was on the street.

What are some of your favorite go-to spots? How about the best new places you’ve tried recently? Let me know in the comments!

A Slice of Heaven(ly) in Tahoe

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I recently took a road trip to South Lake Tahoe. I love Tahoe and go up there in the winter and summer often to ski and relax – it is one of my favorite local destinations and growing up in Reno, it was always very accessible. This time, I stayed at the Timber Lodge and made sure to eat dinner at Base Camp Pizza. It was highly recommended by my friend Evo who has a cabin on the North Shore It’s an extremely popular (I’m talkin’ 2-hour lines!) pizza joint.

The same group owns Fireside in the Palisades in Tahoe and Azul Latin Kitchen in Heavenly. Base Camp is by far the most popular, as it sits right at the base of the iconic Heavenly Valley gondola. I have now eaten at all three locations; Fireside doesn’t have the line like Base Camp, but the Village at the Palisades (I can’t stop thinking it is “Squaw Valley!”) is a bit more sleepy than at the base of Heavanly’s Gondola.

Rubicon is a small pizza place in Northstar and Wally’s is a collaboration with Base Camp (and the number one sports bar in Folsom). Believe it or not, Yelp’s list of the top 100 pizza places in America has Base Camp at #5. The fifth-best pizza place in the country!

I haven’t sampled all of the competition, of course, but it definitely was delicious. Like I said, it was worth the wait and the crowd. We ordered the Base Camp medium pizza which includes pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted peppers, roasted onions, portobello mushrooms, and a four-cheese blend. I only wanted pepperoni on my side and my friend only wanted sausage on her side. Since it was already on the pizza, they did this for us but typically only do halves on the large pizza.

What we ordered was more than enough for two people. We also ordered the pear walnut salad. All of it was delicious. The key for the reservations, especially if you are staying at the Timber Lodge or the Marriott Chateau (Harveys and Harrahs are also very close), is to put your name in way ahead of time.

In our case, we were able to go back to the Lodge and enjoy the hot tub. We started getting ready a little less than two hours later and it worked out perfectly. Once the text message saying your table is ready is received, you have about seven minutes to get there. By the time we arrived for our reservation, they were not taking any more reservations for the night, booked out until 9:00 p.m.

According to SF Gate’s review, Base Camp’s success is due to its unique dough recipe. I don’t know if that’s what did it for me, but there is nothing like a hot slice of ‘zza in the snow. Where is your go-to spot for a slice?

KeunJib: A Pleasant Surprise!

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Who would have guessed: a Korean restaurant in a bowling alley – and a really good one at that. I was not expecting to find a great restaurant inside the Paddock Bowl in Pacheco. KeunJib truly had a great menu and after you eat, you can go bowling! Bonus points for being able to order drinks from the bowling alley bar.

There were five of us so we ordered many items, though I don’t remember all the names. We tried fried rice, a really good kimchi pancake, and a delicious filet of meat. One person ordered a kimchi stew with spam, but I did not try it. We also had a pork dish. We really enjoyed the beef short ribs and everyone thought it was top-notch. We have a lot of great Asian cuisine of all types in the Bay Area, but KeunJib stood out as an unexpected gem even against strong competition. The presentation was nice, the portions were large, and the staff was friendly.

Overall, the beef short ribs were probably my favorite – we requested another order to share. But, truly, everything we tried was delicious. Whether you’re looking to get a Korean food fix and then decide to bowl, or knocking down pins gives you a hankering for the food, it’s worth checking out the unexpected winner in Paddock Bowl!

The Little Pear: Delicious In Downtown

A new restaurant opened in downtown Walnut Creek where The Counter burger restaurant used to be. The Little Pear is from the same ownership group (The Worth Group) as The Peasant & The Pear in Danville and The Peasant’s Courtyard in Alamo.

When I visited, I ordered the Bishop Ranch salad with Mexican White Prawns and it was absolutely delicious (unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture!). The Little Pear is open every day except Mondays from 11 am to 8:30 pm (opening at 10 am on weekends) and I highly recommend you add it to your list of downtown Walnut Creek restaurants to try.

They offer a menu for weekend brunch, several tasty starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, specials, and burgers and other entrees. My Bishop Ranch salad had pear, candied walnuts, blue cheese, and balsamic over greens and I still think about it!

They also have nice outdoor seating for when the weather warms up. I have ate at both of their other restaurants which are also fantastic and think The Little Pear will be no different. Chef Rodney Worth grew up in Northern California and learned to make “good food that makes you feel good” while pursuing a Culinary Arts degree from DVC. He has worked at Wente Vineyards, Bizou, and in catering so he has a wide range of experience that you can taste in every bite.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think about it!

Tatsu Sushi In Walnut Creek – YUM!

I checked out Tatsu Sushi in Ygnacio Valley Plaza recently, and I just have a one-word review: YUM. It’s an awesome Japanese restaurant that is apparently very popular, if their extremely busy Wednesday evening crowd is any indication.

I ordered a couple of rolls and they gave us gyoza on the house. We also tried the vegetable tempura. You can see pictures of the meal below, but fair warning; they might make your mouth water.

Tatsu is open for lunch and dinner every day but Sunday, but like I said, the place was really busy on a random Wednesday night. So, make sure you plan in advance for your visit!

On the website, they describe the restaurant as “on the frontier of Japanese fusion restaurants,” and promise the freshest seafood, meat, and produce. The meal I had at Tatsu was definitely fresh and delicious – I will be back!

New Restaurant By Heather Farms Is Hopping!

In the shopping center across from Heather Farms, there is a new restaurant that seems to be very popular. At 11 a.m. the day I went, there was a line out the door, so you know the food must be good or just the shinny new place to try! Mendocino Farms is the name of the lunch restaurant, one of the newest locations of a nationwide chain.

Most locations of Mendocino Farms are in the Orange County-Los Angeles-San Diego area, but there are also several in the Bay Area, including in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. They have even expanded as far as Seattle, Dallas, and Houston.

The menu looks delicious, which probably explains their popularity! One of the first items you see is “The Happy Hippie” sandwich, with avocado, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, and more. Or you can order the Mediterranean Crunch Salad, with chicken breast, cucumber, apricot, etc. The creations are creative, colorful, and healthy.

Mendocino Farms mostly specializes in deli-style lunch combos (sandwiches and salads), but they also offer some baked goods, soups, drinks, and an extensive kids’ menu. Opened originally in 2005, Mendocino Farms is a family business that “invites their guests to “Eat Happy.””

LITA: The Bay Area’s Little Miami

LITA is a trendy new restaurant in Walnut Creek on the corner of Bonanza and Locust. It brings Miami flavors with Caribbean influences. The chef-driven menu delivers classic Caribbean-Latino dishes, reimagined to highlight locally-sourced ingredients.

I visited LITA to explore its fresh and modern approach to Latin Caribbean cuisine. It was really good but definitely pricey! I went with my friend Victoria, who ordered a lobster corn dog. It had a ketchup sauce with it that she didn’t like, but the concept is interesting!

I loved my shrimp and lime ceviche and the plantains we ordered were spot-on. They have lots of creative cocktails (some even come with flames!). The restaurant was packed on a Friday night, so I think this might be one of the trendiest new places in town.

We were able to snag two seats at the bar that night, but they also have private patio seating if you’re so inclined. It was a fun place to go for a night out or a special occasion. Just make sure you have some spending money!

Check out Batch & Brine!

Batch & Brine in Lafayette is the newest venture from the siblings and cousins who co-own Broderick’s. I’m not the biggest fan of the latter, to be honest, but since this was a separate venture, I wanted to check out their new place. I’m so glad I did!

Batch & Brine was created by a dynamic group of relatives — siblings, Mike, Rolla, and David Ghaben, cousins, Sam Ghaben and Celina Gonzales, alongside their son, Victor Ghaben. With roots that extend from New Mexico and the Mediterranean to California, their restaurant’s culture captures the essence of growing up in their family’s kitchens and restaurants.

Their craft cocktail/Mixologist manager Casey Carr personally came to our outdoor seating area. We wanted margaritas, but not too sweet, so he made a recommendation on tequila and used all natural ingredients (no purchased sweet and sour), and the result was delicious, smooth, and not too sweet. We really appreciated the personal attention and had a nice chat. He mentioned the family hired a chef who has worked in some San Francisco restaurants, but is from New York with Jewish and Cuban family roots who uses quality ingredients in the food.

I tried their sliders, and my friend had the blue burger with whipped Roquefort and pretzel roll; both had homemade pickles. Our meals were clearly made from quality ingredients and all the food was very tasty. This is a place that will definitely be one of my new go-to restaurants.

What made it even more special on a Friday night was they had live music and happy hour M-F from 2-5 pm, all which make the ambiance more comfortable, enjoyable, and inviting. They are not allowing indoor seating right now because of COVID-19, but they did have a fire pit and heat lamps outside, so you can still enjoy the “normal” sit-down experience.

The changing face of downtown Walnut Creek

COVID-19 has proved a tough hurdle for all of us, but businesses have been hit especially hard. With California’s phases changing, going backwards, we’ve seen businesses shutter and the economy as a whole begin to dip.

It’s no different for us in the real estate industry – home sales and the buying/selling process are looking different than they were even back in January due to the pandemic. Anyway, I was wandering around downtown Walnut Creek the other day after work (yes, with my mask on!) and noticed the innovative ways it is changing.

Opa/Stadium Pub
1515
Sauced
Dia Y Noche
Havana
Mels
Torsap Thai Kitchen
Brioche de la Paris
Torsap (already existing outdoor seating)
Brodericks, Vanessa, Lokanta, Limon
Dia Y Noche – recently opened

With indoor seating banned, the city streamlined permitting for outdoor dining by getting parking spaces blocked off to allow for more seating. It’s sad to see how this is all affecting the downtown that thrives on human traffic. There is a bunch of outdoor seating on Locust from Brodericks to Limon. A few spots already have outdoor seating (Sauced, Torsop but got more out front

Among the other casualties of the pandemic economy, PRIMA Ristorante has decided to close its doors – a Walnut Creek staple that had been around nearly half a century. I’m sad to see it go. Salons were open for a month and as the state recently pushed back opening, caused the salons to re-close. Some such as Ashley Flowers Hair found they have some outdoor space where they can still legally operate. Hopefully as a country, we can get a grasp on the spread of this virus as other countries have done before winter. I really need a mani/pedi. Continue to be careful, wear a mask in public and follow the local health guidelines so we can get back to some semblance of our previous lives!