Woody’s Cafe Brings Poolside Perks to CVAC
Words by Laith Agha
Cover photo by Airam Dato-on; Photo below courtesy of Woody's
Woody's restaurant is building quite the culinary following on the Monterey Peninsula—in rather unconventional fashion.
It started when chef/owner Tim Wood took over the old Golden Tee location at Monterey Regional Airport. “People made fun of me” for opening an airport restaurant, Wood says. The funny thing is, USA Today has named it the country’s best airport sit-down restaurant in each of the past two years.
Then in 2024, he opened a second location at the Del Mesa senior living community in Carmel Valley, which was named the best new restaurant on the Peninsula by a local publication.
And this year, Woody’s has expanded again, with the newest location having opened at Carmel Valley Athletic Club in March. Much like with Del Mesa, “it’s a great community opportunity,” Wood says.
Open to the public and located on the second floor of the club’s poolside building, Woody’s at CVAC is a more casual cafe setting, offering counter-ordering, grab-and-go, and poolside delivery. The menu is tailored for the location, but it will look familiar to anyone who frequents the other locations, with popular items such as the Cobb salad and the bacon-stacked burger. “It gets its own identity,” Wood says. “But if you know you have a really good cobb salad, then make sure you have that cobb salad in a cafe setting.”
Wood, who’s originally from New York, where he chopped it up in Manhattan restaurants—including a stint working at Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room—jumped into the Monterey Peninsula food scene as soon as he moved here in 2000. He spent about eight years as a sous chef at Bernardus, and established Carmel Valley Ranch’s farm-to-table programs with its on-site goats, chickens, and cheesemaking. His style of locally sourced, ingredient-driven fare is evident on his menus, with items from the likes of Country Flat Farms, Bad Dog Farms, and Robbie’s Ocean Fresh Seafood, among others.
“It’s not about the next big thing,” Wood says of his unexpected locations. “It’s about a solid meal. It’s about a conversation with the person across from you.”
Woody’s at CVAC, 27300 Rancho San Carlos Rd, Carmel.