By Emma Krasov. Photography by Yuri Krasov
Alas, it’s almost over, but this summer in Northern California has been a blast! First of all, we had just a few insignificant heat waves, unlike those poor vacationers in Europe scorched by the incessant 40-degree temps for weeks and months on end…
Secondly, despite the unusually strong winds we didn’t endure nearly as many wild fires as in recent summers, and fingers crossed, we’re past the peak time for them now.
Thirdly, thanks to the abovementioned advantageous circumstances, our staycation never felt so good!
One of the most memorable happenings this summer has been The Smooth Jazz Series at City Center Bishop Ranch in San Ramon—three perfect Saturdays, filled with soulful music, wonderful food from acclaimed local restaurants, and enduring outdoor fun! These free-to-the-public outdoor jazz concerts started last year, and continued this July due to popular demand.
This year concerts featured celebrated jazz musicians, namely Jonathan Butler on guitar; Brian Simpson and Jackiem Joyner on piano and sax; and Rick Braun on trumpet. These amazing performances induced a joyful community vibe around Alexander Square in San Ramon, because in addition to reserved concert seating in front of the stage, the surrounding restaurants, like LB Steak, The Slanted Door, and Alora Social served prix fixe dinners to their patio tables, and picnicking families spread out their blankets and folding chairs on a green lawn, where kids were having fun wading through a ground-level fountain.
The boisterous, full of life master-planned business park and mixed-use development in San Ramon, City Center Bishop Ranch was designed by Renzo Piano, a world-renowned architect, inspired by the natural surroundings of rolling hills and lush greenery. With the arrival of this architectural and cultural wonder, the agricultural Tri-Valley developed a new kind of lifestyle destination—a vibrant marketplace, a community meeting place, and a restaurant hub for discerning foodies and shoppers.
This reporter (and a partner) were lucky enough to attend the closing concert of the summer jazz series, led by the talented smooth jazz trumpeter Rick Braun.
Oh what an evening that was! We had a remarkably tasty dinner at The Slanted Door at Bishop Ranch—a spacious and sleek venue with an open kitchen, stylish indoor seating, and a heated patio. The special Smooth Jazz Series prix fixe included the best dishes of the contemporary Vietnamese cuisine menu, conceived by the acclaimed James Beard Award–winning chef Charles Phan, the founder of the Slanted Door family of eateries.
Amuse bouche of vegetarian spring roll with tofu and shiitake mushrooms; a starter of pork belly and shrimp dumplings in chili fish sauce, and main courses of black cod in banana leaf and lamb chops with shishito peppers and Brentwood corn were out of this world, especially accompanied by the masterful cocktails from the restaurant bar, and an airy Pavlova dessert!
Our overnight stay at the San Ramon Marriott, also known as the “Marriott at Bishop Ranch,” located in a park-like setting just a walking distance from City Center Bishop Ranch, provided both convenience and comfort in a clean, aesthetically decorated room with the most luxurious plush bedding, an included buffet breakfast, and limitless coffee.
City Center Bishop Ranch is located at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Rd, San Ramon, California 94583. Additional information about Bishop Ranch, The Slated Door, and San Ramon Marriott can be found at their respective websites: https://www.citycenterbishopranch.com/, https://slanteddoor.com/, https://marriottsanramon.bookonline.com/hotel/marriott-san-ramon. To learn more about the city of San Ramon, and everything it has to offer, go to: https://discoversanramonca.com/
Real Travel Adventures 