A gold mine of food

As with any new development, Granite Bay’s Quarry Pond Town Center has been a little delayed. Things are really opening now, however, and I stopped by recently to check out the scene. Pizza Antica’s patio overlooking the pond looks like the perfect place to wile away a spring evening. I loved the selection at Regionale Produce, which offers—not surprisingly—regionally grown produce, from whisper-thin asparagus to bristly, chartreuse Romanesco broccoli. I’m looking forward to seeing what other gems emerge as spring continues. You’ll also find specialty food items, like buffalo mozzarella. Vande Rose Meat & Fish is now open, as well, with gleaming, flavorful Duroc pork fresh from Iowa’s Vande Rose Farms, as well as Hereford beef and a lot more. Plenty more shops and restaurants were set to open any minute as of press time. In short, this quarry will yield the ingredients for a fabulous dinner without a lot of digging. I only wish it were in downtown Sacramento. 5550 Douglas Boulevard, Granite Bay; www.quarrypond.com.