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!

Pinstripes Is A Hit!

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For our BHG Christmas party this year, we checked out the new location of the Pinstripes chain in Broadway Plaza – where Crate & Barrel used to be. Pinstripes has several locations around the country (with a few more to come, apparently!) and after our party, I can definitely see why it’s so popular.

Downstairs, there is a full-service restaurant offering food, drinks, and a Mon-Fri Happy Hour from 3-6!!! Upstairs, they have a 4 lane bowling alley, 1 short bocce ball court, and an area for reserved groups with a bar and eating area where they catered the event. We held our party upstairs and had a great time.

It was really a fun way to celebrate, great for a group of people, and equally fun for a family. They catered with sliders, a chicken dish, Caesar salad, and a pasta dish – along with some dessert cookies.

After having carpal tunnel surgery, I have found that I am a horrible bowler (who am I kidding? I was never a great bowler!). But this was a fun way to hang out with my colleagues. I do want to try the downstairs, and the bar area looks fun. Maybe I’ll schedule a happy hour birthday drink with fellow Capricorns and a few non-Capricorns next week.

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?

Model Bakery: New To WC

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I’m a sucker for a good bakery. Luckily for me, there are plenty of them in Walnut Creek, including a new one called Model Bakery on N. Main St. right next to Tomatino. I took a visit to Model the other day to check it out. I was struck by the beauty of the bakery, both on the outside and inside. But how did the food stack up? Watch my short videos below to find out.

So… a beautiful location, delicious food, and good coffee. But, like everywhere else in town, it comes with inflated Walnut Creek prices. Nothing you can do about that! It turns out that Model Bakery has been a popular location in Napa Valley for almost a century. They specialize in artisan, organic breads and pastries.

Model bakery is privately owned with their roots in St. Helena and Karen Mitchell, once a successful caterer has been the current proprietor for nearly 30 years. Apparently they are famous for their robust English Muffins, they even made Oprahs favorite list one year. They are also located in Napa, Yountville and now Walnut Creek. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

A Visit To Sebastopol – Marimar Winery

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I recently went to Sebastopol for a paella lunch at Marimar Winery. My friend from Reno who knows the owner and is a club member asked if I wanted to come. We got to stay at a guest house for two nights and had a wonderful time. Marimar Winery is a beautiful place and Sebastopol is one of those cute little towns that gets lost in the shuffle of all the cute little towns around us, but so worth a visit!

We started our road trip Friday evening and stopped in Graton at the Underwood Bar & Bistro for a drink and heavy appetizers that were absolutely delicious and surprisingly busy for a small town.

The next day was the actual paella lunch. For those that haven’t had paella, it’s a famous Spanish cuisine made of rice, chicken, and seafood (or other meats, depending on the chef). It’s cooked in a large wok-like pan (a paella dish) and served family-style. It’s truly a cultural cuisine experience and one of the tastiest things you’ll ever eat! This recipe was out of the Marimar cookbook and was served with some tasty tapas and a wine pairing. She comes from a Castilian family raised in Spain, where her family also has a winery. In the 1970s, she bought land in Sebastopol and started growing grapes in the European style and now has her adult daughter helping her run the winery.

As you can see from these photos, it was a wonderful visit to Sebastopol. There was a robust and diverse crowd, which gave me a chance to meet and talk to some folks and make connections, and of course, the wine was wonderful. I highly recommend a visit to Marimar Winery (and check out some of their annual events!), but you have to wait until next October to get you some paella!

Candidate DeVinney at San Dai

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Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a “Meet the Candidate” event at San Dai Restaurant on Main St. with Craig DeVinney, who is running for Walnut Creek City Council. He is supportive of Walnut Creek’s pickleball scene and moving our courts from Rudger Park to Tice Creek. He is an ER doctor with a fresh perspective and is supportive of small businesses in Walnut Creek.

It was interesting to attend and to hear his approach! I believe we need to be aware of what our local politicians stand for, as their policies are ones that affect us in a very local way, so ask your favorite candidate how you can support them. Money is always helpful, but you can also help distribute flyers, put up a yard sign, etc. Get out and vote!

On top of all that, I had the chance to experience San Dai. It’s a chef-driven, ingredient-driven menu with local, seasonal produce. Their inspiration comes from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia – all well-known for intense, rich, and spiced food. The Chef, Nora Haron, draws from that region’s influence and contrasts it with Northern California styles to make for really unique meals. We had some appetizers and wine and it made me want to experience their dinner.

The website has some great pictures of the food they serve with some really interesting selections of food, like satay, corn ribs, ceviche, and several entrees of all types of meat. There was also a little coffee bar attached to the side (another coffee bar), but it was closed at that time of day (I’ll try it next time they are open and I’m in the area!). Have you tried San Dai? If so, I would love to hear your feedback.

Check Out The Hangout!

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In the space formerly occupied by Rossmoor Diner, there is a new restaurant with a full breakfast and dinner menu. It’s called The Hangout and offers interesting American options with an Asian flare. I visited recently and enjoyed the food I tried! There is another location in Pleasant Hill.

I thought the Asian breakfast options – like the Cha Thai Pancake and the Ube Pancake – were especially interesting. I had a good time there and ordered a pancake and poached egg. My favorite item was the pancake – really huge and fluffy. I highly recommend it!

The Hangout seems to have all sorts of inspirations, including serving famously Southern chicken and waffles and all sorts of surf-and-turf options. Besides the breakfast items, they offer sandwiches, burgers, salads, and plenty more to give you a wide range of options to choose from.

Next time you’re in the Rossmoor Shopping Center (or nearby), give The Hangout a try! My good friend Veronica, loves this place and has already been there more than a handful of time, it is helpful when you live close by as a quick good option.

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!

New Go-To Dumpling Spot

I had never heard of BaoBao dumplings, but I went with a friend recently to the Concord location and was blown away by the food!

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I had never heard of BaoBao dumplings, but I went with a friend recently to the Concord location on Treat & Oak Grove and was blown away by the food! BaoBao doesn’t have much of an online presence, but they have six locations and some delicious dumplings. Just check out the pictures below!

Technically, the restaurant is named 88 BaoBao Dumpling House, and I’m not sure why! But I am sure that I’ll be back next time I need my Asian street food fix in the East Bay. We got some shrimp chow mein and, of course, some dumplings.

Luckily I went with my colleague, Phuong, and she knew how to order and to add the sauce she mixed up (soy sauce and the chili sauce) onto the chow mein. It was spicy, but delicious. I enjoyed every bite of my meal at BaoBao, but better yet was the company and knowing what to order.

Next time you want a fresh steamed dumpling, check it out!