Diner returns thrill to the hill

Find your thrill again at Blueberry Hill.

The longtime Livingston landmark, which was torn down in 1994 to expand Highway 99, is back with a new name and owner.

The Blueberry Hill Bar & Grill opened this month near the site of the old Blueberry Hill Cafe.

Owner John Diaz and his brother Hugo Diaz, who manages the diner, said they saw a need in the community.

"Livingston seemed to have a demand here for a restaurant of this caliber," said Hugo Diaz, who formerly managed The Almond Tree in Oakdale.

Blueberry Hill serves breakfast and lunch. Its menu includes omelets, blueberry pancakes, salads, hamburgers, shakes and signature homemade pies.

The new Blueberry Hill at 2295 F St. includes a full-service bar that opens every day at noon and stays open until midnight on weekdays, 2 a.m. on weekends.

The diner is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.

Hugo Diaz said they wanted to keep some of the tradition of the old cafe, with a twist.

"We're trying to replicate some of the things and the good truck-stop food that they had," he said.

The cafe is part of the new Blueberry Crossing shopping center, along Highway 99 off Hammatt Avenue.

Wal-Mart said this month it will apply to the city of Livingston to build a Super Wal-Mart store at Blueberry Crossing.

The development might include a hotel, conference center and other commercial space.

For more information on the Blueberry Hill Bar & Grill, call 394-1401 or go to www.myspace.com/blueberryhillbarandgrill.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

Looking for a pick-me-up at lunch or perhaps just a pick-my-face-up?

Then check out the new Andre Wellness Center in Turlock. Run by chiropractor and massage therapist Christine Andre-McDonald, the center specializes in nonsurgical microcurrent face-lifts.

It also offers nutrition, weight-loss, massage, chiropractic and other services.

The microcurrent facial uses a mild electrical current to lift, tone and resurface the face and body. Andre says the procedure has "no downtime, no swelling, no redness and best of all, no pain."

Andre has been a chiropractor for 10 years and has a master's degree in nutrition. The new center at 325 Mitchell Ave. opened in July. For more, go to www.andrewellnesscenter.com or call 634-2225. ...

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring service has expanded to serve Oakdale.

The national in-home tutoring company opened a branch last fall to serve the Modesto, Ripon, Riverbank and Salida areas.

For more information, call 572-4101 or go to www.clubztutoring.com/modesto-area. ...

And finally, in case you missed it, the H&M store opened last week in the Vintage Faire Mall.

The trendy Swedish retailer specializes in "fast fashion," featuring the latest styles at lower prices.

H&M is one of the new anchors in Center Court, across from the expanded Forever 21. It carries women's, men's and children's clothing.

For more information, call 577-2138 or go to www.hm.com.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.

This story was originally published November 17, 2009 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Diner returns thrill to the hill."