Kori Brown and Daren Valente have spent years in the restaurant industry. This makes them an ideal pair to open an eatery together. Their new restaurant, Up the Creek Cafe in Colesville, is an Italian-style café and deli; they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as various seasonal and outdoor supplies.
As soon as you visit Up The Creek Cafe, you’ll feel right at home. “We’re going for a cozy creekside mountain cabin feel,” says Brown. “It’s very homey with lots of plants and natural elements,” in addition to antiques and handcrafted items. In fact, some of the décor is made by the owners and their friends. The cafe interior can seat up to 14 guests, but there is plenty of outdoor seating as well; this includes seating at both their deck and garden areas (which have picnic tables), and along the creek.
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What to Order From Up The Creek Cafe
Up The Creek Cafe offers breakfast sandwiches, platters, and deli sandwiches, as well as traditional Italian dishes and pizza. Of course, you’ll also see specials regularly. “We enjoy experimenting and switching things up,” Brown says.
So far, customers rave about the garlic rolls with cheese and cheesesteak. But it takes only a moment for Brown to think of her favorite dish. “We are very proud of our pizza,” Brown explains. “It took a Florida boy to show this authentic Jersey girl the best pizza. And I couldn’t be selfish and keep it all to myself. Our pizza is crispy and delicious. We used to drive 45 minutes for good pizza. Now we get to make it every day.”
About the Owners
Kori Brown was born and raised in Wantage and has worked in the food service industry for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, Daren Valente’s family has run restaurants in South Florida since 1965. He grew up in pizzerias, working every position at some point, eventually even running his own for a while. Up The Creek Cafe is a blending of their shared vision.
The couple met while working in a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale in 2016 before moving to Wantage in 2018. “We immediately started looking for the perfect spot for our café we always dreamed about,” says Brown. “When we found this cute little spot just ‘up the creek’ from our house, it was our sign.”
You can visit Up the Creek Cafe at 1214 State Route 23 in Colesville. Look for them online to learn more.
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Up The Creek Cafe FAQs
Yes, you can call to make a reservation.
No, there are no offer Gluten-free options.
There are vegan and vegetarian options, yes
Yes, Up The Creek Cafe offers takeout
Yes, they do their own delivery from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.
No (they are BYO).
No, but they have many kid-friendly options.
All Photos: © Up The Creek Cafe
