Let’s Do Lunch in the East Bay

Several readers have recently asked for recommendations to take clients or their office for lunch in the East Bay. Here are a few ideas.

Zephyr Grill & Bar

LIVERMORE – Livermore’s Zephyr Grill and Bar serves up everything from gourmet salads and classic entrées to burgers and sandwiches for lunch. Starters scream to be shared. If something “comforting” is required, opt for the artichoke heart and gruyere dip.

I decided on potato-wrapped halibut drizzled with balsamic reduction and creamy Asiago au gratin potatoes for my entrée. Halibut is hard for me to cook right, but luckily, the chef at Zephyr knows the ropes, serving up a flaky dish.

The grilled chicken from the summer specials menu served alongside mashed potatoes and corn was also a winner.

Entrées start at $17. Open Monday-Friday from 11am and weekends from 10am. Full bar. 1736 First Street, Livermore. ZephyrGrillLivermore.com

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Walnut Creek Yacht Club

WALNUT CREEK – There’s no boat and the restaurant is landlocked, but Walnut Creek Yacht Club’s teak, mahogany and stainless steel decor will make you feel like you walked into a seaside fish house. Serving up fresh, never frozen Osprey seafood, it’s a great spot to take a client or meet up with friends. 

If you’re a fan, the menu boasts six different types of oysters. If not, I highly recommend starting your meal with the clam chowder. Rich with bacon, potato and cream, a cup of the New England-style chowder is the perfect size. I paired mine with grilled pink hopper prawns from Florida. All the selections from the grill include a  sauce and “extra rigging.” I settled on Indonesian peanut sauce as my dip of choice and green beans as my side.

If seafood isn’t your thing, they do offer a chicken sandwich and a burger.

Entrées start at $23. Open Monday-Saturday, 11:30am-10pm. Full bar. 1555 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek. WCYC.net

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Danville Harvest

DANVILLE – Inside, on the patio, or at the bar, there isn’t a bad table at Danville’s Harvest, where each recipe is crafted to showcase locally sourced, sustainably raised ingredients.

Skip the side salad with your lunch entrée and share the crudité platter instead. Built to impress, it features grilled lemon hummus, olive tapenade and the chef’s selection of veggies. You’ll never look at carrot and celery sticks the same way again.

After your serving of veggies, go ahead and order fries with your sandwich. You won’t be disappointed. 

The crispy fried chicken breast topped with pickles and cabbage slaw with lime vinaigrette on a country Italian bun is an excellent choice as is the shrimp BLT served with avocado Green Goddess aioli on a ciabatta bun.

Sandwiches start at $14. Open Monday-Friday from 11:30am and weekends from 10am. Full bar. 500 Hartz Avenue, Danville. DanvilleHarvest.com

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Berevino Cucina

DUBLIN – With a two-course lunch special,  Dublin’s Berevino Cucina and Wine Bar provides diners with both great food and excellent value. For gatherings, I suggest starting with the crafted cheese board filled with three cheeses, candied walnuts and marmalade. A perfect complement to this is the chef’s meat sampler board featuring prosciutto, salami and capicola ham.

In addition to their regular menu, Berevino showcases lunch baguettes as well as a two-course salad and pasta meal. I paired the beet caprese with ravioli filled with short ribs. I had never thought to mix beets with mozzarella, but it worked wonderfully. The ravioli were rich, flavorful and left me satisfied, but not stuffed. The Caesar salad and pappardelle was also notably good.

Entrées start at $13. Open daily 11:30am-9pm (Friday and Saturday 10pm). Full bar. 4590 Dublin Blvd, Dublin. BerevinoCucina.com

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Janet Fazio writes ‘Tastes of Your Town’, a monthly feature on East Bay dining in the print editions of Your Town Monthly. A version of this article was originally published in September 2018 editions.

>> Discover more of our favorite places to eat in the East Bay and beyond.