Were Walnut Creek Bars Dissed — Or Not?

Four Walnut Creek bars have made a prestigious list from the San Francisco Chronicle, while a San Francisco blog suggests it's more about whining than prestige.

The Grub Street San Francisco blog makes fun of the media behemoth in the area for bending over backwards for Walnut Creek "whiners" in filling out its list of the top 100 bars in the Bay Area.

In critiquing the Chronicle's list, Grub Street said there were some obvious omissions due to the subjectivity of Chronicle staff "or in order to make room for some outer-Bay Area picks, so as to keep Walnut Creek readers from whining too much." Apparently, Walnut Creek readers hold great sway over the mighty Chronicle.

In any case, here are some quotes from the Chronicle's feature list about four great bars in Walnut Creek:

• on Giammona Drive in the "Beer Specialist" category: "Oakland Trappist owner Aaron Porter opened this mecca for beer lovers late last year. It's difficult to choose from the nearly 20 draft beers and 300-plus bottles, which are also available for retail sale (the lower price on the bottle is the take-home price). Snacks such as cheese, charcuterie (including two big hunks of Fra'mani salametto picante) and Skipolini's pizza from next door are also available, as are a few wines and nonalcoholic options."
• the (new) Corners Tavern on Broadway Plaza in the "Food-centric" category: "You could sit four hours and just look at the 40 Dioramas inside the bookshelves that separate the comfortable seating area in the lounge. Or you can sit at the three-sided bar and look at the dining room action. There's lots of action in this newly opened Walnut Creek hotspot owned by the trio from San Francisco's Town Hall. It has an excellent wine list, 15 beers on tap (Drakes IPA; Weihenstephaner Hefeweisen; Young and Wells double chocolate stout) and exceptional cocktails."
• in the "Spirits Curators" category: "You may want to 'Ahoy' your matey as you enter the nautically-themed bar, which features more than 75 rums from 20 countries and three barrel-aged cocktails. Lead bartender Jay Crabb - who works from a collection of more than 20 bitters - regularly changes more than half the cocktail menu. And while sipping, if you find that ballast is needed, the full menu is available in the bar."
• in the "Wine Bar" category: "For eight years this has been the place to go in Walnut Creek for great international small plates backed by serious wines. The restaurant features 16 flights, from Pinot Envy ($24.50) to Bailout ($9.99) for those caught in a credit crunch. There's also a full bar. The interior has the feel of a cellar, with a ceiling that looks like a wine barrel. There's also prime seating outdoors."