Cal-Italian Fare Coming to a Quiet Stretch of South Berkeley

After five years of renovations and anticipation, Creekwood is almost ready to open in South Berkeley.

Initially, longtime friends Greg Poulios and Mark Louie planned to launch Creekwood as a catering business and daytime cafe, but after years of construction issues, permitting woes, and discovering the former bike shop they took over at 3121 Sacramento Street lacked a foundation (“The building is almost essentially brand new with the exception of the roof,” says Poulios), the pair switched gears.

“We felt the location and the exposure and the way the building was set on Sacramento Street just lent itself to a restaurant,” Poulios says.

It’s also a location with few other dining options — there’s Moxy, a beer garden and burger spot, across the street, and a handful of restaurants on Adeline Street and San Pablo Avenue a few blocks away. Now, Poulios and Louie are envisioning Creekwood as a Cal-Italian restaurant, starring Neapolitan pizzas, fresh pastas, seasonal salads, and some appetizers like meatballs or octopus.

“We have a nice pizza oven but we want a balanced menu; we’re not a pizza-focused restaurant,” Louie says.

When Creekwood opens — hopefully in about four weeks — the plan is to start with dinner and then expand into brunch on weekends and eventually weekdays with a more classic American menu. The 1,700-square-foot space will seat 50 people inside and 16 outside, and it’s decorated with reclaimed Douglas Fir, white tile, and warm, 1920s-style Holophane lights.

Creekwood

Creekwood

Poulios and Louie both worked together at Zuppa in San Francisco, and they’re bringing on a former Zuppa chef, Liam Bonner, to lead the kitchen at Creekwood. Poulios was the opening general manager there, and he’s also worked at Farallon, One Market, and Rick and Ann’s. He and Louie will share front of house management duties at Creekwood.

Stay tuned for more details as Creekwood’s opening gets closer.

• Duo to open Creekwood restaurant in South Berkeley [Berkeleyside]
• Creekwood [Facebook]