2025 Walnut Creek Spotlight Restaurant Guide

Walnut Creek Spotlight reader, it's time I share something special I've been keeping under wraps since launching this newsletter last December - a treasure trove of our city's most incredible dining destinations.

Remember that welcome email you received when you subscribed? The one where I casually asked about your favorite local spots? (Between Coffee Shop runs at Broadway Plaza, naturally.) Well, I've been quietly collecting every response, mapping out what makes our food scene truly exceptional.

Let's face it - we're a community that plans our walks through Heather Farm Park around which restaurants we can visit afterward, aren't we?

Today, I'm thrilled to finally unveil what we've created together:

Introducing the 2025 Walnut Creek Spotlight Restaurant Guide.

This isn't your typical tourist guide - this is a local's perspective, crafted by real Walnut Creek residents who know that the best Asian fusion isn't always at the most-photographed spots, and who understand why the wait at Burma 2 is absolutely worth it (even during peak lunch hour).

This guide serves two types of Walnut Creek food enthusiasts:

1. For my fellow adventurous eaters who've already tried everything at The Orchards but are hungry for more - this guide will take you beyond the downtown favorites to some incredible hidden gems.

2. For our newcomers (welcome!), whether you've just moved here for work or found your dream home in Woodlands, and you're still getting acquainted with our food scene - consider this your insider's guide to eating like a true Walnut Creek local.

Let's explore together! Every recommendation in this guide comes from one of you - maybe over coffee at Coffee Shop, after experiencing that amazing omakase, or insisting I try your neighborhood spot's legendary brunch.

Happy dining!

P.S. Fair warning - reading this guide will make you hungry. I suggest grabbing some Handel’s ice cream before diving in.