CO U R T E S Y O F T E R R A M I A
For a complete list of Tri-Valley r Wayfinding / EAT estaurants, click here
pancakes, and sugar
sprinkled French
toast—all served
until 4 p.m. At lunch,
try the triple-decker
barnyard club. 5400
Sunol Blvd., Ste.
1, 925.426.7019.
Breakfast and lunch
daily. $$
Lokanta
Mediterranean
Grill & Bar A Turkish
word meaning
“neighborhood
bistro,” Lokanta is
at once exotic and
familiar. An open
kitchen dishes up
bean and barley
salads, along with
vodka-spiked salmon
and skewered hanger
steak. The skylit back
dining room makes
for some of the best
summer dining in the
East Bay. 443 Main
St., 925.223.8074,
eatlokanta.com.
Lunch and dinner
daily, brunch Sat. and
Sun. P $$$
McKay’s Taphouse
& Beer Garden
Try the jammin’
burger slathered with
bacon jam or a Cubano
sandwich, pressed
with the mandatory
pickles. Soft
fresh-baked pretzels
have the right salty
goodness for pairing
with an array of local
craft beers. 252 Main
St., 925.425.0217,
mckaysbeergarden.
com. Lunch Wed.–
Sun., dinner Tues.–
Sun. P $$
Nonni’s Bistro
Owner Jon Magnusson
borrows
freely from Italian,
French and American
traditions, specializing
in comfort foods
with just a touch of
California froufrou.
Check out warm
goat cheese crepes,
capery bistro steak
salad and anything
with Magnusson’s
and served sizzling.
The curries are
good, but trust the
tandoor—and double
up on the garlic
naan. 411 Main St.,
925.846.3077,
frontierspice.com.
Lunch and dinner
daily. $$
Gay Nineties Pizza
Co. This pizzeria and
pasta house is the
quintessential family
restaurant. The secret
of the signature
pizzas is the crust:
The house-made
sourdough is aged
and cold stored for
five to seven days
before cooking. The
oldest pizza parlor
in the Tri-Valley,
the mainstay’s
atmosphere remains
cozy. 288 Main St.,
925.846.2520, gayninetiespizza.
com.
Lunch and dinner
daily. $$
Hap’s Original
Hap’s has been
around since the
1950s and has
evolved into an
upscale steakhouse.
Complimentary
crudites and Hap’s
namesake salad
topped with walnuts,
Gorgonzola and honey
chili vinaigrette
made for refreshing
starters. The filet
mignon with brandy
peppercorn sauce
was even better with
a seasonal side dish
of grilled artichokes.
122 W. Neal St.,
925.600.9200,
hapsoriginal.com.
Dinner daily.
P $$$$
Jim’s Country
Style Restaurant
Sure, we try to look
out for our arteries,
but sometimes Kashi
cereal with fruit just
won’t cut it. Jim’s has
the stuff: ranch-style
omelets with biscuits
and gravy, hearty
with tongue-numbing
peppercorns,
bright lemongrass
and a thin but darkly
caramelized sauce.
4220 Rosewood
Dr., 925.227.1312,
chinaloungeus.com.
Lunch and dinner
daily. P $$$$
Eddie Papa’s
American Hangout
This hangout has a
menu as long as a
cross-country road
trip, but—spiked with
historical tidbits and
a full page of classic
cocktails—it’s worth
the ride. Enjoy jambalaya,
a Reuben or
Southern fried chicken
in a skylit dining
room. 4889 Hopyard
Rd., 925.469.6266,
eddiepapas.com.
Breakfast, lunch and
dinner daily, brunch
Sat.–Sun.
P $$
Experience Burma
Restaurant & Bar
Burmese cuisine
echoes the flavorful
and shareable
qualities of Indian
and Thai food yet is
wholly distinctive.
The tea leaf salad
bursts with crunchy
nuts, seeds and
jalapeno. Wok-fried
lemongrass pork is
tender and aromatic,
while glistening mango
shrimp balances
sweet sauce with
chiles. 221 Divsion
St., 925.398.8219,
theexperienceburma.
com. Lunch and dinner
daily. $$
Frontier Spice This
attractive spot is
known for its tandoori
dishes. Alongside
meaty kebabs,
you’ll find lime-scented
salmon and
pimento sea bass,
both flash-roasted
in the tandoor. Get
the tandoori mix
grill: chicken tikka
seasoned three ways
The menu pays
homage to soupedup
American and
Italian fare. Start with
scoozi (Gorgonzola
stuffed flatbread),
smoked salmon or
the prosciutto salad,
followed up with
house-made ravioli,
swordfish or pepper
steak. 475 St. John
St., 925.426.0987,
baronespleasanton.
com. Dinner daily.
P $$$$
Blossom Vegan
Restaurant This
vegan paradise has a
distinctive Vietnamese
edge. We love
the green papaya
salad and curried
eggplant. Do not
miss the mushu–
mushu, wrapped
in Indian pancakes.
4000 Pimlico Dr., Ste.
112, 925.399.5232,
Lunch and dinner
Wed.–Mon. P $
Blue Agave Club
This “club” provides
genuine Mexican
delicacies such as
earthy huitlacoche
“truffles” on plump,
succulent shrimp and
chicken enjococado
in sour cream sauce.
A gorgeously grilled
skirt steak stars in a
platter that includes
chicken mole, chili
relleno, grilled green
onion and guacamole.
The outdoor
patio is heaven,
and there are more
tequilas than you can
count. 625 Main St.,
925.417.1224, blue
agaveclub.com.
Lunch and dinner
Tues.–Sun. P $$$
China Lounge A
theatrical open kitchen,
pulsing bar and
refined dining room
complement moist
ribbons of bang bang
chicken, sublime
crispy pork belly
soup and bold kung
pao chicken made
sweet sauce. 39 S.
Livermore Ave., Ste.
125, 925.449.7000,
uncleyusvineyard.
com. Lunch and
dinner daily.
P $$
Vineyard Table and
Tasting Lounge
A commitment to a
seasonal menu that
emphasizes local
ingredients keeps
things happening
at this restaurant.
Standout dishes
include heirloom
tomato soup with
charred balsamic and
grilled local calamari
with fingerling potatoes,
tomato confit
and black olive tapenade.
Meanwhile,
the famous smoked
pork chop never
fails to satisfy. An
ever-evolving list of
more than 500 wines
includes some excellent
Livermore selections.
5050 Arroyo
Rd., 925.456.2450,
wentevineyards.com.
Dinner Wed.–Sun.
P $$$$
Zephyr Grill & Bar
Zephyr’s all-day menu
lists some 26 main
courses—40 when
you include salads
and sandwiches.
Some hidden deals
include thick slabs
of seared tuna and
a lemon cheesecake
that, while huge,
says finesse not
factory. 1736 First St.,
925.961.1000,
zephyrgrill.com.
Lunch Mon.–Fri.,
brunch Sat.–Sun.,
dinner daily.
P $$$
PLEASANTON
Barone’s
Restaurant Around
the corner from the
hustle of Main Street,
Barone’s makes one
long for an old-fashioned
shrimp cocktail
or veal parmigiana.
sleek atmosphere.
Island finger lumpia
are served with a
balanced carrot-
plum sauce. The
panang beef is
tender and delicious.
Pumpkin-salmon
curry showcases
squash and seafood
in a red peanut curry.
Roasted duck comes
off the grill flavorful
and meaty. 2470
First St., Ste. 108,
925.454.9888, star
anisethai.eat24hour.
com. Lunch and dinner
daily. P $$
Terra Mia A soaring
brick fireplace,
gleaming open
kitchen and warm,
professional service
impart an intimate
feel to the cavernous
dining room. The Calabrian
owners have
built on this soulful
aesthetic with madefrom
scratch bread,
pastas and thin-crust
pizzas. The fish is
fresh, and the meats
are seasoned well
and served with simple
sides. 4040 East
Ave., 925.456.3333,
terramialivermore.
com. Lunch Mon.–
Fri., dinner daily.
P $$
Uncle Yu’s at the
Vineyard With a
classy decor and
wine list, Uncle Yu’s
has an enticing vibe.
So enjoy a lovely
Alsatian white with
spinach dumplings—
soft noodlelike wrappers
exploding with
fresh spinach, shrimp
and chicken. Or try
the crisp-roasted
free-range chicken
with red chili–flecked
6 6 V I S I T T R I VA L L E Y.COM
