Rancho Cantina Debuts in Downtown Danville
Rancho Cantina
Courtesy Rancho Cantina
A new upscale Mexican grill is now open in downtown Danville. Nico Tzikas, who runs Rancho Cantina in Lafayette with his family, held a soft opening on Monday for a second location in the former home of Cocina Hermanas on Hartz Avenue. There, the longtime Danville resident will offer an identical food lineup with a special emphasis on ranch-to-table “vaquero” platters featuring meats and veggies cooked over an almond wood live-fire grill. Included on the menu are antojitos—small plates featuring house-made ceviche, BBQ corn elote, and ranchero bean dip with heirloom Rancho Gordo pink beans; a “Cantina” section with carnitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, and other Mexican classics; sizzling fajita skillets; and wood-fired proteins such as a double-cut pork chop, carne asada, brick chicken, and Atlantic salmon. With a larger bar at the new location, Danville will have a slightly expanded cocktail program that spotlights tequila and mezcal drinks, including several margaritas. Here’s the full menu.
The design makeover, meanwhile, is in keeping with a restaurant “inspired by the original table fare of the Golden State’s Spanish and Mexican Californios.” Tzikas tells Dish, “We are incredibly grateful and excited to serve the Danville community. This new location is an investment for our family in both the neighborhood we love and [our ambition] to build the kind of gathering place we hope becomes part of people’s everyday lives.”
Rancho Cantina margaritas
Courtesy Rancho Cantina
Doppio Zero Aims to Open in Livermore This Fall
Even as the newest Doppio Zero settles into downtown Walnut Creek, co-owner Gianni Chiloiro says a new location should open in a matter of months in downtown Livermore. Chiloiro, who runs the Bay Area string of six upscale-casual Italian restaurants with partner Angelo Sannino, says the pair are aiming to launch in the Tri-Valley in October. It will be designed and built from the ground up as part of a newly expanded section of Livermore’s historic Blacksmith Square that will consist of three new buildings filled with several restaurants and shops surrounding Stockmen’s Park at the corner of South Livermore Avenue and Railroad Avenue. Here are more details and renderings of that project.
Doppio Zero
Courtesy Doppio Zero
Keeping with their practice of tailoring each restaurant to its unique setting rather than a copy-paste model, Chiloiro says Doppio Livermore will feature an indoor-outdoor bar overlooking the central park with water misters to help mitigate hotter weather. And the team isn’t stopping there: They plan to launch a new Doppio Zero in Roseville next summer, followed by another in southern California after that.
The Italy native also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of adding one more location in the suburban East Bay, while admitting that he has his hands full for the time being. So, what’s the secret to the success of his rapidly expanding restaurant portfolio? Chiloiro says the team has tried to stake out an elegant but still relatively affordable middle ground in the Bay Area’s competitive Cal-Italian dining scene with a menu highlighted by fresh-made pastas, certified Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas, and fresh interpretations of familiar southern Italian standards.
“There are so many Italian restaurants out there, including Michelin-star places, that are very expensive,” he says. “We want to provide high-quality food for a reasonable price with a great ambiance that’s relaxed enough for everyone.”
Fire Devastates Walnut Creek Lunch Favorite
A major fire has shuttered a popular downtown Walnut Creek lunch destination for the foreseeable future. According to the Mercury News, a one-alarm fire last Wednesday morning caused extensive damage at Lettuce Restaurant & Catering located at the corner of Locust Street and Civic Drive across the street from the Lesher Center. Opened in 2009, the fast-casual restaurant was known for its entrée salads, craft sandwiches, and scratch-made soups and pastas, and was a go-to hub for the downtown lunch and pre–Lesher Center dinner crowd.
Small Bites from Around the East Bay
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Dining and Cooking