Business & Tech

Organic Pizza Restaurant Planned – Same Block as Cerrito Theater

El Cerrito seems to be rapidly acquiring its own "Gourmet Ghetto" on the one-block stretch of San Pablo Avenue anchored by Cerrito Theater. The newest addition, "Organic Pizza Kitchen," will feature local ingredients and open next year, a co-owner says.

One block of El Cerrito is turning into a concentrated food scene.

A new pizza outlet, to be called "Organic Pizza Kitchen," is expected to join the growing concentration of cafes and restaurants on the block of San Pablo Avenue anchored by the .

The eatery will go into the building formerly occupied by Comcast at 10042 San Pablo Ave., said Klaudia Kenny, co-owner of the new business with her husband, Brian Kenny. It's located between and , across the street from .

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Klaudia Kenny said in an email that the restaurant will feature "exclusively organic, local and ethically sourced ingredients for our wood fire pizza, bbq and sandwiches."

They are aiming to open in January, she said.

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"I'm very excited about that block," Kenny said. "I think there is a great potential."

Kenny, who lived in El Cerrito since 2005 and recently moved one house over the border into Albany, said she has more than 10 years experience in restaurant management and that this will be the first time she's owned a business.

The business already has a website, saying, "Coming Soon to Albany / El Cerrito." A description on the site says the pizza will be "NY inspired" and that the wood-fire oven will also produce fresh-baked bread for the sub sandwiches.

"Open early and and closed late, Organic Pizza Kitchen will high-five your palette and fill your belly from breakfast through dinner, including late-night delivery," the description says.

A visit by Patch to the address on Aug. 26 found an empty building with no obvious sign yet inside of a restaurant in gestation. Kenny said she and her husband are in the process of submitting plans and hope to have their health department permits within two to three months.

On the same side of the street, on the same block between Central and Fairmount avenues, are:

  • , El Cerrito's only brew pub, which opened in September last year and makes its own beers on the premises
  •  Vietnamese restaurant, which opened in October of 2010
  • , which recently opened its night-time incarnation, Raphael's After Dark
  • , a new wine bar/cafe expected to open very soon in the same building housing Cerrito Theater. 

A block further south, has won approval from the city's Design Review Board to move into the former Payless ShoeSource building next to Peet's and across the street from El Cerrito Plaza.

Another new pizza outlet specializing in locally sourced ingredients, , opened in July on Colusa Circle in Kensington.

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