🥐 The Valley Magazine – February 2026 Edition is Out Now — Pick Up Your Free Copy Around Town!
The latest issue of your favorite free Bay Area lifestyle magazine is fresh off the press and available at locations all around Castro Valley and the surrounding area. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside:
🍞 Rising to the Occasion at Seven Hills Bakery — Meet Julien Wagner, a Paris-born baker who apprenticed in kitchens at age 14 and has worked in some of the best spots in Boston, LA, and San Francisco. Now he’s bringing that world-class passion to Castro Valley — with daily bread specials, buttery croissants, and a team of nearly two dozen. This is the feel-good local success story you don’t want to miss.
🎳 Perfect 10: Lucky Lane 33 Café — Hidden inside Castro Valley Bowl is a snack bar serving legitimately outstanding Laotian and Thai food — crispy egg rolls, fresh papaya salad, silky pad see ew — and it just earned a rare perfect score of 10 out of 10. Even KQED’s “Midnight Diners” took notice.
✂️ Artist Spotlight: Debra Collins — A former middle school art teacher turned internationally exhibited paper-cutting artist, Collins transforms ordinary sheets of paper into breathtaking explorations of spirituality and humanity. Her work has shown at the de Young Museum, the Shanghai International Paper Art Biennial, and beyond.
🍗 Kitchen Stories: Puerto Rican Pollo Guisado — Just in time for Super Bowl season, local cook Kelly Marquez shares her rich, slow-simmered chicken stew with homemade sofrito, olives, and capers — served over perfectly fluffy rice. This one is a keeper.
📸 Bay Area Nostalgia — Revisit the beloved Bay Area Backroads TV series and its late host Doug McConnell, and take a trip back to the magic mirror days of Romper Room with the Bay Area’s original Miss Nancy.
💎 Community Gems — From Gloria Blackstone’s 20-year-old beading haven on Castro Valley Boulevard, to the gorgeous 1950s Chabot Theatre, this issue is full of reasons to love where you live.
The Valley is always free — grab your copy at stores all around town today!
