Mt Diablo BBQ Now Open
Mt. Diablo BBQ opened for business Tuesday on Mt. Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette. Replacing the short-lived Lamorinda branch of Oakland’s Horn Barbecue that shuttered earlier this year, Mt. Diablo BBQ now offers low-and-slow smoked meat every day of the week until 9 p.m. And as a breakfast bonus, the restaurant opens at 7 a.m. when it serves breakfast tacos and biscuit sandwiches (pictured) with a choice of brisket, tri-tip, or pulled pork. For lunch and dinner, the menu centers on seasoned oak–smoked tri-tip, pulled pork, St. Louis style ribs, brisket, and burnt ends offered in sandwich and plate form. Sides include mac and cheese, baked potato, beans, and cornbread, while homemade seasonal pies, bread pudding, berry cobbler, and a root beer float make the dessert menu. There are also a few salads and a Lil’ Meat Dinner kids barbecue plate for $10.50 that comes with bread and a side.
In contrast to previous tenant Matt Horn, a once-hyped pitmaster who has courted controversy, financial turmoil, and lawsuits since opening in Oakland six years ago, the new owners are part of a veteran restaurant family with an established track record of successful barbecue operations across the South Bay and Central Coast. They also seem to have secured an alcohol permit, which had been suspended by the state under Horn’s watch: the restaurant pours eight beers on tap from local craft breweries including Del Cielo, Almanac, and Ghost Town, in addition to canned options.
Restoration Hardware Project and Restaurant on Hold
Plans to replace the prominent former Neiman Marcus space in Broadway Plaza appear to be on the ropes. According to multiple reports, Restoration Hardware pulled its application with the city to build a Mediterranean-style complex on an acre-plus site at S. Main St. and Mt. Diablo Blvd. complete with fountains, public gathering spaces, landscaped courtyards, and a glass conservatory restaurant in addition to retail galleries. The luxury furnishing company was set to begin construction this year with a completion date estimated for 2028, but those plans look to be on hold if not completely abandoned for the high-profile downtown Walnut Creek space vacant since 2021. While RH hasn’t yet released a statement, a spokesperson for Walnut Creek told Patch, “The City remains committed to supporting Restoration Hardware and exploring opportunities with future tenants for this important location.”
Milky Flakes Debuts Icy Sweets in Downtown Walnut Creek
A mysterious ice cream shop in downtown Walnut Creek is now open, and its icy offerings look tempting—if social media glamour shots are to be believed. In the works for nearly a year at the corner of North Main and Cypress streets with very little to clue in curious diners except an intriguing name and one lone Instagram post, Milky Flakes debuted over the weekend. Promising “carefully selected ingredients from Italy, Japan, and around the world,” the shop states that “every batch of our products are made fresh in-house.”…