Support Local | Food and Drink Shops

January, 28, 2021

With the start of a new year comes a time of reflection, resolutions, and new goals. With so many businesses affected this past year by the ongoing pandemic, we believe a great goal to set for 2021 is to support local. Many stores, shops, and restaurants are open for business, curbside pickup, and online ordering. We have gathered up a list of local shops all around the Tri-Valley and Fremont area that you can feel good about supporting.

Food & Drink Shops

Whether you are in the mood for fresh coffee, tea, new wine, or something sweet, your local food and drink shops are the perfect place to start. The quality mixed with the ability to try locally made food and drinks can surpass the ease of shopping at chain grocery and coffee stores. These shops are open now and ready to serve up delicious treats.

Inklings Coffee | 530 Main St, Pleasanton

Located in downtown Pleasanton, this locally-owned coffee and tea shop has a great ambiance and plenty of books to read while you sip.

In their own words “a place IN the community, FOR the community. An unhurried coffee shop inspired by the adventure stories of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. A place where you can take time to wonder, converse, connect, and be inspired.”

The Wine Steward | 641 Main Street, Pleasanton

The Wine Steward is a local wine shop with personalized service and a large selection. They are thrilled to now offer you the ability to shop online!

The store is open with limited capacity and following CDC guidelines.

Espresso Rosetta | 206 S J St, Livermore

This shop is locally-owned by long-time residents of Livermore, as well as long-time coffee connoisseurs. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee and tea along with pastries.

Casse Croute Bakery | 50 S Livermore Ave, Livermore

Serving French-press coffee & sandwiches, this quaint spot offers house-baked bread & pastries. Freshly baked in house daily, enjoy warm croissants, muffins, buttery, sugary brioche, and a cup of hot french press coffee!

Danville Cigar Fine Wine & Gifts | 445 Hartz Ave, Danville

Posh retailer of cigars, wine, artisan chocolate & upscale gifts, with a garden patio for smoking. Here you can discover a rare selection of fine wines & port vintages, some of which are exclusive to their store. Most of their wines and ports are from the neighboring Napa and Sonoma valley regions.

Medleno Coffee Shop & Roastery | 480 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Danville

A locally-owned coffee shop that prides itself on quality. Their coffee beans are always freshly roasted and the coffee drinks are freshly brewed. In their own words, their mission is “to provide the freshest locally roasted gourmet coffee experience to aficionados and connoisseurs who share a passion for coffee.”

Seven Hills Baking Co. | 3295 Castro Valley Blvd, Castro Valley

This bakery is owned by Julien Wagner, an award-winning chef with experience at top restaurants in Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Visit and enjoy classic baguettes and other French loaves he has perfected over the years, along with nourishing whole and sprouted grains on his bread menu, sandwiches to take away, and laminated croissants and Danish pastries.

Doc’s Wine Shop | 22570 Foothill Blvd, Hayward

This small shop owned by a Certified Sommelier features hundreds of brand names of white and red wine, including Chardonnays, Merlots, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels, and Cabernets, Doc also offers a wide selection of beer, cheese, and wine gift baskets.

Devout Coffee | 37323 Niles Blvd, Fremont

Patrons can watch coffee being roasted & extracted at this spartan, modern coffeehouse with a patio. Sourced and extracted with precision and care, It is why they serve simple drinks without compromise, so patrons can actually taste some of the best coffee from incredible coffee farms located around the world.

Mary’s Bakery | 34370 Fremont Blvd, Fremont

Family owned and operated, this bright bakery set in a shopping plaza, offers Asian-style pastries, cakes & buns that are incredibly popular with local residents.

We would love to hear of other great shops to support! Let us know below.

Cocktail and Food Pairings to Spice Up Thanksgiving

November, 19, 2020

Many people are facing scaled-back holiday celebrations this year, and we see this as a great opportunity to add a few new special touches to the day. These crisp fall cocktails and tasty food pairings will be sure to make your Thanksgiving memorable.

Apple Cider Mojitos

Mojito’s do not have to stop when summer does, a little apple cider turns this into the perfect fall refresher. Mint + cider may sound strange at first, but it ends up very refreshing. A small tip – to make it even more Autumnal, try rosemary or thyme instead of mint.

Mojito Recipe Here

Suggested Pairings

Cheese & charcuterie board, with that fresh taste, this would be great paired with an appetizer

Chips, crackers, and light dips (salsa, hummus, etc.)

Turkey dinner, the refreshing mint twist pairs well with poultry.

Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate

What is the Holiday season without hot chocolate? With this recipe, cinnamon sticks and a splash of bourbon will change the way you look at hot cocoa for good. We recommend enjoying this cocktail with dessert.

Spiced Hot Cocoa Recipe Here

Suggested Pairings

Best to stick with sweet treats for this recipe

Peppermint bark

Shortbread or sugar cookies

Pecan pie

Apple Cider Sangria

Another spin on a summer drink, this spiced and sparkling punch made with apple cider, brandy, and a splash of Prosecco packs big flavor with fresh lemon, ginger, orange bitters, and sliced seasonal fruits.

Cider Sangria Recipe Here

Suggested Pairings

Turkey dinner, the fresh fruits help this pair well with poultry

Spinach and artichoke dip

Fresh baked apple pie

Cinnamon sugar dusted doughnuts

Mulled Cider

Of course, the colder weather calls for a comforting hot cider. This spiked version is easy to make and budget-friendly to serve at holiday gatherings. The cider base can be prepared beforehand and refrigerated up to 2 days — when ready to heat, simply add the rum of your choice.

Mulled Cider Recipe H ere

Suggested Pairings

Appetizers, especially any with beef or pork

Pigs in a blanket

Bacon wrapped dates

Marinated or breaded mushrooms

We would love to know if you try any of these recipes, and what you think of them. Leave a comment below!

Make Way for Outdoor Dining

July, 2, 2020

Summer 2020

The Tri-Valley has many local restaurants opening for outdoor dining! To allow for as many patrons as possible, while still following CDC guidelines, many downtowns in the area are closing down their streets to vehicles and opening up to more dining. Here are how a few cities are changing up their downtowns to fit the changing times.

Pleasanton

Pleasanton has implemented their “A Weekend on Main – Downtown Reactivation”. Main Street will be closed Friday afternoons through Sunday evenings starting at 4 PM Fridays and ending at 8 PM Sundays. The street closure will follow this format every weekend through August 9th depending on future allowances and regulations from ACPHD. This will allow for restaurants to gain back some much-needed space.

Full Downtown Pleasanton Information Here

Danville

The Danville Town Council approved a set of limited street closures to allow restaurants to expand their outdoor seating to accommodate for the closure of indoor dining through the end of the month. The closures are set for three months, but that time frame can be modified depending on social distancing requirements.

The areas affected by the temporary closures are:

Church Street
W. Linda Mesa Avenue
Parking spaces on Hartz Avenue
Parking space on Rose St.

Full Downtown Danville Information Here

Livermore

First Street Closure Friday Through Sunday — To help welcome the community to Downtown and create more space for foot traffic, First Street will be closed to vehicles from Maple to Livermore Avenue and from Livermore Avenue to L Street starting mid-morning this Friday and continuing through the weekend. J and K Streets will also be closed between First Street and Second Street during that time.

Full County Information here

Fremont

Fremont has started its Pop-Up Patio Pilot Program, to assist in making outdoor dining easier for both restaurants and customers. Many restaurants are now open for outdoor dining with extended outdoor space.

Full Fremont Information here