The Rest of The East Bay

www.mitchtobias.com

Oops! When Diablo's Best of the East Bay issue hit mailboxes and newsstands last month, the food section should have included these six winners, all reader picks. We apologize for the omission.

Want to hear the glass-half-full part? Because of our gaffe, we decided to spend a day visiting these top spots again so we can give you an update on each.

Judging by the mob that waits outside Millie’s Kitchen each Saturday and Sunday morning, it’s no surprise that our readers have chosen the classic café as Best Breakfast Joint once again. There aren’t many surprises on the comfort-food menu—but there are plenty of omelets and flapjacks and Millie’s special coffee cake to go around. And the Lafayette Reservoir, is nearby so you can run it all off. Millie’s Kitchen, 1018 Oak Hill Rd., Ste. A, Lafayette, (925) 283-2397.

A first-time winner for Best Coffeehouse, Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea has carved itself a nice niche in the Alamo Plaza shopping center. The spacious café offers teas, fancy coffees, iced drinks, panini sandwiches, and salads. Large leather couches and free Wi-Fi access make this a nice place to stay for a while. Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea, 215-E Alamo Plaza, Alamo, (925) 837-1234, www.ywtakeout.com.

Perennial Best Pizza Parlor winner Zachary’s Chicago Pizza made news in the Diabloland food scene last October when its San Ramon location opened. East-of-the-Caldecott residents no longer need to brave the tunnel to enjoy Zachary’s deep-dish specialties at the Solano and College avenue locations. The new outlet is just as crowded, but that’s because the pizza is so delectable. Zachary’s Chicago Pizza, 1853 Solano Ave., Berkeley, (510) 525-5950; 5801 College Ave., Oakland, (510) 655-6385; 3110 Crow Canyon Pl., Ste. D, San Ramon, (925) 244-1222, www.zacharys.com.

Diablo readers love wine. Best Wine Shop, Wine Thieves, has plenty to choose from, and always at reasonable prices. When we popped in to buy a gift bottle of Pinot Noir, co-owner Jim Meyers recommended a Kenneth Volk from the Santa Maria Valley for $18. Wine Thieves, 5443 Clayton Rd., Clayton, (925) 672-4003; 3401 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, (925) 299-9070, http://www.winethieves.com.

The scrumptious small plates at Va de Vi drove our readers to select the Walnut Creek restaurant as Best Place for Appetizers. Our visit included cold and hot soup shots, a mini burger with jack cheese and smoked bacon, and a tower of ahi tartare atop pickled cucumbers and sesame rice crackers. Va de Vi Bistro and Wine Bar, 1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek, (925) 979-0100, www.vadevi.com.

With its ring-a-ding-ding appeal, Bing Crosby’s wins Best Place to Get a Cocktail. The bar at Bing’s has redefined Walnut Creek’s nightlife scene, filling up night after night as the place to be seen in the 925. Bing Crosby’s Restaurant and Piano Lounge, 1342 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, (925) 939-2464, www.bingcrosbysrestaurant.com.