My last 3 jobs have all been in the Shadelands office park, in Walnut Creek. I’ve eaten a lot of lunches around here, so I thought I would write a guide to help you out, if you’re in the neighborhood looking for lunch (or dinner). Pizza Places: Mary’s Pizza Shack – Mary’s is a chain, but a small one. There are 15 locations, all in Northern California, most in Sonoma County. The service is usually pretty good, the bread they bring out is warm and crusty, and they serve a pretty good salad (good dressings, too). My choices for best lunches: Soup and Salad lunch special – Especially if the…

If you’re like us, you don’t really go for Dominos, Straw Hat, that kind of pizza. If you’re like us, you would prefer to find a locally owned and operated kind of place, with really yummy crust, great toppings, and a family friendly (but not insane) atmosphere. If you’re in Pleasant Hill, that place is Melo’s. If you’re near Shadelands in Walnut Creek, that place is Rocco’s. But, if you happen to find yourself in Livermore, that place is Milano’s (No website, but here’s a map). Did this place used to be called Stromboli’s? The address and phone number are the same… Anywho, it’s a neighborhood joint in a strip…

So our latest excursion into Restaurant Land (I’m getting the idea we eat in restaurants WAY too often…) was Sunday morning, at the Alamo Cafe. It’s been there FOREVER…Ted grew up in Danville, and remembers driving by it for years and years. Anyway, it’s a TINY little greasy spoon place, with one waitress, one cook, one grill, and a guy who does the other stuff, like clean tables and such. Maybe he’s a dishwasher/bus boy, who knows. We went for breakfast, and I got something I’ve never had before…pork chops and eggs. I don’t think I would go for that again…the pork chops were OK, but kind of tough. The…

Yesterday we were out finishing up some Christmas shopping, and we decided to try a newish Afghani restaurant on Newall Ave., in the same shopping complex as Tuesday Morning and Casper’s Hot Dogs, in Downtown Walnut Creek. It’s a tiny little place, maybe 10 tables. The service was good, though the food took quite awihle to come. Ted had a lamb dish that he thought was going to be ground, but was actually little lamb chops that I thought was delicious…very flavorful with nice spices and a good texture. It was served with rice and salad. Maya ordered a dish of what were described as dumplings with leeks and potatoes…

We tried a new (to us) sushi restaurant a few weeks ago, and it was VERY tasty. 🙂 Nama Sushi & Teriyaki on Sunnyvale Ave (Where? What? Who? Sunnyvale is the side street off of North Main in Walnut Creek, next to Pasta Primavera Too). The Miso Soup was yummy and soothing. The Teriyaki Salmon was SO GOOD. The tempura was prepared perfectly. The teriyaki sauce is not as sweet as it can be at some other places, so it’s tastier to me. Maya had some deep fried yam thing that she loved. Ted got the chef’s special rolls, and wasn’t thrilled…it is an assortment of different rolls, and he…

This last Sunday, Ted said he would like to go to lunch, and he would like to go somewhere that we had never tried before. Maybe it’s all part of his 2005 New Year’s Resolution to eat new things…that’s a good resolution, and so much easier to keep than flossing regularly (sorry Dr. Ochikubo!). So he threw down the gauntlet and said we would go to downtown Lafayette, and find a new place to eat. Well, I wasn’t in the mood for Chinese or Mexican food, and we had eaten everywhere else…or had we? We found ourselves walking toward Chow, which is mighty tasty and probably worth it’s own review,…

Looking for some tasty food in Walnut Creek at a decent price? Downtown no less? What if I told you it’s actually in Broadway Plaza? Would you keel over? Try Stanford’s Restaurant & Bar. Here’s the caveat…you have to go during Happy Hour, which is from 3-6pm. You also have to eat in the bar (but they do allow kids in the bar area). Where else are you going to get Crab & Seafood Cakes for $3.95, or Penne Pasta & Roma Tomatoes for $2.95? None of the items are big enough for a whole meal, but you could have BBQ Chicken Quesadillas ($2.95) and a Southwest Chopped Salad ($1.95),…

Back in my misspent youth, I worked for two years at a fancy steak place called “Mr. Steak” (This is not the Mr. Steak I worked at, but it looks remarkably similar…get me drunk sometime and ask me to pronounce “petite cut” for you!). Please, not “Happy Steak”. “Mr. Steak”. While there, I actually learned a thing or two (and that’s about all) about the different cuts of steak. For instance, I learned that a Filet Mignon is the most tender cut of steak because it has very little connective tissue (just learned that part…thanks Cherry!). Alas, it also has very little marbeling (aka, fat), and the fat is what…

The best meal of my almost middle-aged life was, hands down, the fancy dinner we had in Paris on our honeymoon. Take my advice. If you’re ever in a city that is known for its food, like say, Paris, scrimp and save but at least ONCE, eat at the BEST restaurant you can possibly afford. You will not regret it. So, we ate mostly at chinese delis and pubs, sometimes getting duck and wine from the shops and taking it back to our hotel to eat, and we saved our money for one big dinner. We asked our hotel staff where we could go for a really nice dinner, but…

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I could sure go for a good Steak & Kidney Pie”? No, me neither, but once in awhile I DO find myself thinking a good cottege pie or lamb stew would be nice, and then I start thinking, “Mr. Pickwick’s!” Mr. Pickwick’s used to be our friendly neighborhood pub, but then they tore the building down for apartments or condos or whatever, and Mr. Pickwick’s relocated to its “new” location in Concord, which is where the old CC Ole’s used to be. The menu hasn’t changed in the new location, though I do miss the fireplaces. The food at Mr. Pickwick’s is hit or…