Come this summer, 898 Santa Cruz Ave. will be home to Camper, a project from San Francisco chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel.
Kuzia-Carmel has worked in the kitchens of Cotogna, Quince and Outerlands in San Francisco and Per Se in New York. He’s partnering with Roland Passot of the South Bay’s Left Bank Brasseries (including one blocks away from Camper) and La Folie in San Francisco to open the new restaurant.
A ribeye for two will be on the menu at the forthcoming Camper in Menlo Park. Photo courtesy Camper.
LB Steak closed in April after six years of business, with the ownership hinting at a "new and exciting" concept to open there.
Camper will serve dinner and weekend brunch, with handmade pastas, roast chicken, ribeye and cocktails. The restaurant will seat 70, with a communal dining area, bar and patio seating and a private dining space.
"Camper originated as a simple idea — bring our collective experiences and travels to this welcoming community by way of deliciously crafted fare and warm hospitality," Kuzia-Carmel said in a press release.
Camper's managing partner is Logan Levant, a former PR executive who went on to open the well-known Buttercake Bakery in Los Angeles. She now lives in Menlo Park and said she recognized the city's "need for a truly Californian neighborhood dining experience."
She envisions Camper to be a restaurant "where you can go for everything from an early dinner with kids, to a celebratory meal, to a memorable private function, all with a high level of service in a relaxed environment."
A revamp of the 4,000 square-foot space will be done by San Francisco architecture and design firm The Martin Group.
Kuzia-Carmel, a native of upstate New York, has worked in restaurants since a young age. He started his professional career in Boston, apprenticed at a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Spain and later returned the United States to work at Per Se, which has three Michelin stars. He moved to San Francisco in 2014 and started working at Quince.
Chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel. Photo courtesy Camper.
