Walnut Creek’s first nonalcoholic bar — Sipeos Cafe & Bar — has opened at Broadway Plaza with a lineup of zero-proof beer, wine and mocktails and the culinary stylings of Blair Warsham, the executive chef at Palo Alto’s Wildseed.

The inspiration? When bar owners Hetal and Dhruma Shah decided they were finally ready to quit drinking, the hardest part was feeling left out.

“We would be with friends and family and excluded from the celebration,” says Hetal. “It felt awkward. Then a year and a half ago we discovered these great nonalcoholic (NA) beverages.”

Soon, they were bringing their favorite NA beers and mocktails to social events, and Hetal had built a website, Sipeos, to begin distributing NA beverages.

Last week, the Shahs opened their first brick and mortar, Sipeos Cafe & Bar. The menu offers plant-forward California-Mediterranean food alongside an extensive list of NA beverages.

It’s very much on trend. The New York Times recently reported that NA beverages are the fastest-growing sector of the alcohol market. Sales of NA beverages went up 32% from 2022 to 2023, compared to just 1% increase in alcoholic beverages.

The mocktail menu will include such drinks as an Espresso Marti-no, a low ABV drink made with coffee, sherry and maple; a Tangerine Toddy, featuring cinnamon, tangerine and Seedlip spice; and a New-Groni, made of Wilderton’s Bittersweet Aperitivo, Optimist Bright and Verjus blanc.

“It has zero alcohol but it tastes just like a normal Negroni with a nice bitter kick to it,” Hetal says.

The focus may be NA, but the Shahs are all about inclusivity and creating a space where families and friends can host celebrations, so Sipeos will also include traditional beer and wine on the menu.

Details >> Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in Broadway Plaza at 126 Broadway Lane in Walnut Cr

Greek restaurant Elia expands to San Carlos

Elia, an elegant Greek restaurant serving dishes like grilled octopus, seabass and lamb chops, opened its third location last month in San Carlos, representing the restaurant’s expansion to the Peninsula.

The restaurant has three private dining rooms, a wine cellar and daily live music — plus an oyster and caviar bar and patio seating, says owner Faith Ulas.

Ulas worked with executive chef Mehmet Duygu to create the original restaurant, opening their first location in Pleasanton in 2021, followed by a second in Walnut Creek.

Look for an array of mezes at different price points from tzatziki with pita ($12) to marinated seabass ($23) and golden osetra caviar ($75). Meanwhile, dinner mains include dishes like filet mignon souvlaki ($44), moussaka ($30) and a seafood paella ($44) with Maine lobster, chicken chorizo and a clam-saffron broth.

They also have brunch and dessert menus, as well as cocktails and wine offerings.

Details >> Open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 727 Laurel St., San Carlos; eliarestaurants.com.

Tri-Valley Beer Trail’s fundraiser, swag

Through Jan. 5, the Tri-Valley Beer Trail’s breweries and taprooms are running a game that offers visitors the chance to support a charitable cause and win beer-themed swag.

Sign up for the “Spread Cheer with Beer” quest on your phone (visittrivalley.com/beer-trail), and you will receive a virtual “passport.” When you check in to places, your GPS will log it and give you points to use for stuff like growlers, “dad hats” and Beer Trail beanies.

Plus, for people who complete 10 check-ins, $20 is automatically donated by the tourism nonprofit Visit Tri-Valley to the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Foundation, which raises money for local causes. Past efforts have included bikes and helmets for Livermore youth, hospital fundraisers and firefighters’ education and equipment.

The Tri-Valley Beer Trail encompasses nearly two dozen craft breweries, taprooms and alehouses in the region. In Pleasanton, that includes the Beer Baron Whiskey Bar & Kitchen, the Hop Yard Ale House & Grill and Altamont Beer Works; in Livermore, Hop DeVine, Shadow Puppet Brewing Company and Pennyweight Craft Brewing; and in Dublin, Three Sheets Craft Beer Bar, Inc 82 Brewing and the Caps & Taps bottle shop and taproom.

Send restaurant news tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, Kate Bradshaw at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com or John Metcalfe at jmetcalfe@bayareanewsgroup.com.