Walnut Creek Eats

The Moveable Feast

Story & photos by Meredith Pakier

 

 

If cities had souls, Walnut Creek’s might be its bustling Sunday Farmers’ Market at 1799 Locust Street. That’s where I found Edible East Bay’s “What’s in Season” columnist Barbara Kobsar selling her Cottage Kitchen preserves. She gets her berries, pluots, and rare Blenheim apricots from fellow market vendors like Ponce Farms and Sunrise Farms.

Another of Barbara’s market neighbors is East Bay Bakery, maker of the best almond croissant I’ve had in recent memory. The market’s produce adds flair to their Danish, focaccia, and other delights made at their 9000 Crow Canyon Road bakery in Danville. They also sell at the Orinda and Danville farmers’ markets.

Heading out of the market in search of ice cream, I found Lottie’s Creamery (1414 N Main St), which hit the spot with flavors that are simultaneously nostalgic and innovative. Their Cinnamon Honey Oat and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake flavors are both unadulterated without an artificial or cloying note between them.

Another tip-off from Barbara was Rooted, the laid-back, plant-based coffee bar at 1321 Locust. It’s clearly a local hangout and not just a morning pit stop. I happily played townie with my latte and vegan ginger cookie on their spacious patio. They have a larger selection of vegan sandwiches, smoothies, and juices made from locally grown fruits and veggies at The Market by Rooted (2800 Larkey Ln).

 

 

Farmers’ market bounty elevates the homestyle menu at Main Street Kitchen (1358 N Main St) in items like the Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict. Their chilaquiles are piled high with ham from Fra’ Mani (another local stalwart).

Middle East flavors meet California fare at Manakish Oven (2905 N Main St), a counter-service joint that specializes in manakish, the flatbreads popular in Lebanon and across the Levant. Their lahm-bajin, fragrant with heady cardamom-spiced ground beef, makes a casual lunch feel a notch more special.

Word of mouth led me to Parada (7001 Sunne Ln), an outpost enterprise of Peruvian chef Carlos Altamirano. The chef has Michelin stars, but this is unpretentious fare. I enjoyed ceviche, anticuchos (street-style skewers), and arroz chaufa, a Chinese-inspired fried rice that’s a hallmark of Peru’s chifa cuisine.

Hearing about the Walnut Creek Yacht Club as a local-foods hot spot, I landed at their 1555 Bonanza Street moorings and anchored myself to the bar with a dozen pristine oysters and Dungeness crab cakes adorned with arugula, fennel, and mint oil. Casting my eye about for pirates within the kitschy nautical décor, I spied a traditional Art Deco absinthe fountain featuring Absinthe Verte from Alameda’s St. George Spirits.

 

When Meredith Pakier is not writing as part of the Market Hall Foods marketing and communications team, she’s hiking with her dog, Nico, and dreaming about starting a garden.