The New Wave in Walnut Creek's Restaurant Scene

Some Walnut Creek restaurateurs don't like to admit it, but 2008's cratering economy didn't do them any favors. Customer traffic slowed enough at some of downtown's most popular eateries that they posted signs in their windows advertising drink and dinner deals. Last winter, even a normally packed place like Prima Ristorante could say yes to a Saturday afternoon call for a dinner reservation that night at seven. 

As we head into the summer of 2010, it looks like Walnut Creek's dining scene is more than rebounding. It's surging. That is, to judge by the sight of people clamoring to eat at longtime favorites and to try out enticing newcomers.

The beginning of the year saw the opening of several distinctive Asian eateries. Now, downtown is welcoming an eclectic set of new establishments that boast major food and wine talent. They are: Sasa, the Japanese small-plates restaurant in the remodeled Walnut Creek Meat Market; Vesu, a "global" small plates eatery on Locust Street; Residual Sugar wine bar, also on Locust Street; and Ottavio, a new Italian osteria replacing the former French Le Bistro. 

These new spots, with their stylish menus and interior design, arrive soon after Walnut Creek received a shout-out as a surprising foodie mecca from the lifestyle website, Livability.com. Walnut Creek was named one of "10 Undiscovered Restaurant Towns" in the country. And although it's next door to other Bay Area foodie meccas, Walnut Creek has "enough culinary heft to stand on its own," the Nashville-based site said.

But with other sectors of Walnut Creek's economy still hurting—retail, auto sales,  construction—it's reasonable to ask whether these restaurateurs are crazy to want to sell people food and drinks. Restaurants can be volatile investments, and recession-shocked consumers scaled back their spending on other discretionary goods such as designer shoes and luxury cars. 

These new spots might want to bill themselves as casual but they are not for bargain diners. They all feature an upscale sensibility by featuring such menu items as Grey Goose martinis, glasses of boutique Napa Valley Cabernets, delicate slices of fish imported daily from a famed Tokyo fish market, or berry shortcakes topped with pretty pink salt, hand-mined from the Himalayan foothills.

Melissa Suitos calls this an "exciting time" to be opening Vesu, a restaurant with a sleek South of Market look that is also pushing the small-plates concept. "The recession affected a lot of restaurants but the ones that upheld quality food and service are still standing strong," she said. "I see Walnut Creek restaurants bouncing back, if they haven't already."

In what they say is their effort to uphold quality food and service, Suitos and partner Chris Velez tapped as their chef Robert Sapirman, an alum of the South Bay kitchens of Bradley Ogden's Parcel 104 and Michael Mina's Arcadia. Without naming figures, she said the time and money spent on the months-long remodeling of the former Sherman Clay piano shop was "major," she said.

But that's OK.

"We feel that Vesu is a great addition to the Walnut Creek dining scene, and it is already being well received by the community,' she said.

Like Suitos, Brian Hirahara, president of BH Development, began working on his restaurant project before the economy took a dive. That would be downtown's other happening new spot, Sasa, is an Izakaya (Japanese small plates) restaurant that just opened in the remodeled 100-year brick storefront on South Main Street.

Sasa may call its cuisine Japanese-style "pub food," but the restaurant boasts of its comprehensive sake selection and of importing its fish daily all the way from Tokyo's famed Tsukiji Fish Market. Hirahara admitted some anxiety about the restaurant's prospects as he saw the recession batter downtown retail stores and the property market.

Hirahara brings more than a restaurateur's view to all this. Past president of the Downtown Business Association, he is a developer who got into the restaurant business by building one of downtown's notable property, The Corners, which includes Tiffany & Co., The Apple Store--and Va de Vi, Walnut Creek's pioneering wine bars and small plates location..

Hirahara said delays in construction and remodeling the historic building were "concerning." Ex–Va de Vi chef Kelly Degala also stepped down as Sasa's executive chef as opening day approached, citing creative differences with Sasa's owner, Philip Yang, who is also the chef and owner of Lafayette's Blue Ginko.

At one point, Sasa was scheduled to open in the fall, but Hirahara is glad about the delay.

"We're opening on the upswing," he said. He is referring not just to the economy but to  the seasonal upswing in the hospitality business as summer approaches. 

Walnut Creek's Community Development Director Sandra Meyer pointed out several trends that are favoring restaurants right now.

Rental rates in downtown have come down as property owners are becoming more "realistic" about the value of their buildings and construction costs have dropped. "This is allowing smaller, independent retailers to get established with smaller upfront investment and a more realistic time frame to be successful," she said.  This trend is benefiting retail stores as well as new restaurants.

Another trend is happening throughout the state. Restaurants have become big business, Meyer said, citing an analysis of sales tax figures provided for the city.

"Auto dealers used to be the No. 1 sales tax producer for the state with department stores being No 2," she said. "Restaurants were somewhere down around 5 or 6.  In the present economy, restaurant and bars have taken over that number No. 1 spot."

Restaurants might be doing well because people are not traveling as much. If they treat themselves, they are doing it close to home. Locals in and around Walnut Creek, adopting this "staycation" approach, also are not driving into San Francisco to eat out--not when they have a pretty vibrant dining scene close to home.

As for those Grey Goose artisan martinis and deluxe Cabs, Meyer added: "People will continue to consume alcohol even in a down economy."

Hirahara points to another trend. Restaurateurs, who are putting their money, time and reputations into these ventures, are looking for more than financial reward.

Hirahara is a long-time Walnut Creek resident who graduated from Northgate High. He is active in local business and the community.  He very much wants Walnut Creek to have a thriving downtown. 

He also admits he was craving good sushi--so he decided to help build a restaurant that aimed to serve quality sushi.

This more personal stake in these new ventures applies to two transplants to Walnut Creek's foodie scene: Jim Telford whose elegant new wine bar on Locust Street, Residual Sugar, just opened; and Valentino Luchin who is remaking the former Le Bistro on North Main Street into a cozy new Italian eatery, Ottavio. 

Both are relocating their careers to Walnut Creek after thriving in San Francisco. Both are dads who have decided that they want to raise their kids in the suburbs and work close to where they live. Luchin, the former executive chef at North Beach's Rose Pistola, lives in Lafayette and has two kids going to Lafayette middle and high schools. Telford's father graduated from Las Lomas High School in 1955; he and his wife, Jennifer, run the wine bar in between raising their year-old daughter in Walnut Creek.

Both Lucin and Telford decided to open food shops based on their own ideas of what would please customers. Ottavio, named after Luchin's father, will serve Venetian-style Italian food made with ingredients produced in Northern California. Residual Sugar has more than 400 wines in stock, and more than 40 "on tap" to taste by the glass or flight.

As much as Telford made sure that Residual Sugar, like Vesu and Sasa, could win interior design style points, he explained that he is very conscious of the "new normal." This is the phrase thrown around by economists to describe people's post-2008 attitudes about spending and getting value for their money. 

To that end, Residual Sugar won't just pour $25 glasses of wine, but $4 or $8 glasses.

 "It still is a frightening and scary time to be opening a business," he said.

"But all of us would like to get back to a place where we can enjoy going out, but it's done in a more intelligent manner," he said. "Everyone is aware of value, and you're an idiot if you don't seek out as many good values as you can."