Mendocino Farms (with summer specials) opens today

The seasonal sandwich and salad specialist Mendocino Farms has opened its newest restaurant in Walnut Creek, and there are already plans for yet another Bay Area eatery.

The 1895 Ygnacio Valley Road restaurant — in the former Chase Bank space at Ygnacio Plaza — is the first for central Contra Costa County. Up to now, the closest option for residents has been the San Ramon one.

Owners Ellen Chen and Mario Del Pero (they’re NorCal expats, and she’s a native of Lafayette) began expanding their Southern California operation to the Bay Area in late 2017. They’ve got locations in Campbell, San Jose, San Mateo, San Ramon, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara and San Francisco, along with an Oakland delivery kitchen.

Next up will be a Redwood Shores location. The website lists 242 Redwood Shores Parkway with a late summer opening timeframe.

Mendo Farms partners with sustainable California farm and culinary artisans and changes the menu seasonally. This summer they are featuring a Hot Honey Peach & Prosciutto Sandwich and a Strawberry Fields Salad with Chicken. And two new sandwiches have joined the menu: An Italian Roast Beef with Chicago-style mild giardiniera and an Avo Turkey Salsa Verde with jalapeño salsa aioli.