Restaurants
by John M. Zukoski on November 17, 2011 | 
No Comments | Topics: Restaurants · Things To Do
Vito’s Express will be having its grand opening celebration on Saturday, November 19th, at Grafton Station in Dublin, CA from noon until 2:00PM. KKIQ will be broadcasting live from this special event. Vito’s Express is also offering Around Dublin readers a discount of 20% on all food purchases from November 19th through December 19th. Please print out this article or show it to the folks at Vito’s Express on your smart phone to get the “Around Dublin Blog Special Deal.” Vito’s Express will be giving away free food and raffling off tickets to Great America, sporting events, and lunches for four at the restaurant this Saturday.
Folks staying for lunch or dinner on Saturday may want to consider trying two of Vito’s hot menu selections. The Prosciutto & Arugula signature pizza has captured the imaginations and filled the bellies of many Vito’s Express customers. For dessert, the Around Dublin Team recommends the Dessert Pizza. This dream creation features a soft pizza crust that is layered with ricotta cheese, sprinkled with cocoa dust, and topped off with a chocolate sauce drizzle. Chef Benny also recently shared that Vito’s Express will be rolling out a lobster pizza at the grand opening this Saturday.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 11, 2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Restaurants · Things To Do
Dublin, CA and the rest of the Tri-Valley are known to have great communities for raising families, but the Tri-Valley also has many phenomenal hot spots for singles. Chain restaurants Black Angus Steakhouse and Applebee’s at Hacienda Crossings are teeming with singles looking for great deals on drinks and appetizers during happy hour. Fully stocked bars, chic menu offerings, and respectable yet exotic vibes that arouse the senses, Coco Cabana in The Shops at Waterford is a terrific hangout for singles 35 and older. “The atmosphere was very trendy. Definitely one of the nicer, sexier, spots in the area to have drinks. Staff was very friendly, my waiter had a spicy accent. Ladies night should start here during Happy Hour,” wrote Yelper Charlene K. from San Francisco about Coco Cabana.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 4, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Restaurants
Vito’s Express recently “soft opened” at Grafton Station in East Dublin. In addition to attracting pizza aficionados, Vito’s Express is becoming a great draw for families in and around Dublin, CA looking for a distinctive yet convenient night out. “Our girls loved playing on the Vespas inside while we waited for our pizza,” noted Dublin resident Chris Kirby. “We got a Margherita and I was happy because there wasn’t too much sauce and the the crust was not overly thin.”
Vito’s Express has taken a low-key but targeted approach to marketing during its soft open phase with co-owner Scott Bolin posting special deals and announcements on Vito’s fan page on Facebook. On Wednesday, for example, Vito’s offered an $8 special that includes a jumbo slice, a generous plate of salad, and a refreshing cup of soda. The eye-catching fleet of vintage Vespas has also been an amazingly effective advertising tool for the scrappy pizza upstart.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 20, 2011 | 4 Comments | Topics: Restaurants · Retail · Things To Do
While shoppers are eagerly waiting for the construction and opening of Rick Caruso’s upscale lifestyle and retail center across from Hacienda Crossings in Dublin, CA, Blackhawk Plaza in Danville, located only 10-15 minutes from most of Dublin, already boasts some very posh restaurants and shops in the Bay Area. Featuring well-known establishments such as Draeger’s Market, The Little Pear, Blackhawk Auto Museum, and Anthropologie, Blackhawk Plaza could be considered the Versailles of shopping centers with gorgeous human-made ponds, kid-friendly play structures, beautiful sculptures, thriving duck and swan populations, verdant landscapes, and impeccable hardscaping. Apricot Lane Boutique, Brookstone, Chocolalier Blue, Roti 8 Rotisserie & Bar, Blue Gingko seafood restaurant, and Opus Bank are among some of the fantastic stores and restaurants that will be opening soon at Blackhawk Plaza.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 18, 2011 | 12 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Restaurants
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse will be serving its Famous Pizookies® starting early 2012 at the new Fallon Gateway plaza in East Dublin. The newest BJ’s will be located next to the recently opened Target store. Many residents have begun wondering what BJ’s arrival will mean for the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings. Will BJ’s succeed in stealing the customer base cultivated at the Grafton Station by B-Dubs for over two years? While BJ’s and B-Dubs share some superficial similarities, both have their own loyal following.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 12, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Restaurants · Retail
Tri-Valley’s very own daily deal site LocalGrüv went live only a month ago, and it has already received a tremendous response from local businesses and customers in Dublin, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Danville. LocalGrüv launched its website with fantastic offers such as 70% off at Rockin’ Jump in Dublin, 50% off at TGI Friday’s and over 60% at The Wine Steward in Pleasanton, and 50% off at La Pupusa House in Livermore. LocalGrüv’s latest deal is from Dublin’s Extreme Pizza in which a $30 voucher can be purchased for just $15 and be applied toward Extreme Pizza’s legendary pizzas, mouth-watering sandwiches, fresh salads, pitch-perfect wine, beer, and more.
LocalGrüv is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Matt Toomey, his wife Rebecca Navarro, Anna Navarro, and Wayne Kool. All four founders were avid fans of social couponing sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, but they quickly noticed these national sites rarely offer deals that feature restaurants and shops from Tri-Valley.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 4, 2011 | 9 Comments | Topics: Development · Restaurants
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse recently received a key approval from the Dublin Planning Commission to move forward with building its 8,376-square-foot freestanding restaurant at the southeast corner of the Fallon Gateway shopping center in Dublin, CA. Aiming to open for business by early 2012, BJ’s will benefit from having great visibility to drivers along I-580 and Fallon Road. The rapidly growing BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse recently opened a new location at the Streets of Brentwood after having a week-long, reservations-only soft opening to generate buzz and to help the new staff work out the kinks before the grand opening. BJ’s is expected to use a similar pre-launch strategy at the Fallon Gateway location.
While the new BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Dublin will look similar to the chain’s other locations, the new hot spot at Fallon Gateway will have a few key design elements to make it unique to the Tri-Valley. The rear of the building facing Target will have a back-lit, four-panel mural depicting a rural farming scene. The exterior of the restaurant will have an El Dorado Stone Mesquite Cliffstone veneer to match other buildings in the commercial center. The restaurant’s stucco surfaces will also be painted with same Red Ink and Spiced Berry colors that are part of Fallon Gateway’s signature palette.
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by Around Dublin Team on September 30, 2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Restaurants
“Irasshaimase!” is the warm greeting every cheerful employee at the new Sushi Hanabi in Pleasanton, CA shouts out the moment a customer steps through its door. For guests of a certain age, the heartfelt greeting should remind them of the way Cheers welcomes Norm every time he steps into his favorite bar. Located at the gateway of Downtown Pleasanton, Sushi Hanabi has quickly become a local favorite in just four months after its opening.
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by Judith Henderson on September 3, 2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Restaurants
Upon entering Cellar 9 Restaurant and Bar at Grafton Station in Dublin, CA, I was immediately taken by the entry hall wine cellar and its collection of regional, local wines creatively displayed behind a glass door with lock. Cellar 9 is indeed serious about its wine collection. What I did not know, but would soon find out, is that this husband-and-wife team of seasoned restaurateurs are masters at making their guests feel comfortable in Dublin’s new hot spot at Grafton Station.
At the host podium, I was greeted by owners Doug Garcia and Rose Thome. Rose then led me into the richly appointed dining room, walls in deep maroon and French olive, antique patina mirrors and chandelier, linen topped tables, and comfortably wide chairs. I was immediately offered ice water with a float of lemon, as I thumbed through the leather bound wine list and dinner menu.
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