Welcome to the New and Improved California Pizza Kitchen (CPK)

Thank you to California Pizza Kitchen for the complimentary dinner showcasing some of the new menu items. All opinions and photos are my own.

You don’t have to sell ME on CPK. I was a fan from way back when. I moved to Los Angeles back in 1987, but by then CPK had already broken out with their innovative pizza concept. My first exposure to the restaurant was at the Brentwood, CA location where I would spend way too many dinners eating gourmet pizza and my favorite chopped Italian salad. This year, CPK is celebrating their 30th anniversary and they are doing it in a big way: new menu items, new decor, and a new way of ushering in the next 30 years.

The restaurant that is known for it’s BBQ Chicken Pizza (OMG still so so so good) has kept the favorites and added some really amazing new dishes you wouldn’t normally think would appear on a pizza menu. But, really, we all know that CPK is WAY more than just pizza. I think this new menu will prove that CPK is a going to be a big competitor in the fine dining category.

I wanted to give you an idea of what I tried when I took my family to dinner as part of our Family Date Night last weekend.

We are really lucky that none of my kids are very picky eaters. We exposed them to a lot of different types of foods at an early age and they all are big foodies and love to try new things. We had the option to order on our own or experience a taste of what the chef and manager wanted to share with us. We went with doing a tasting menu and I am SO glad we did. Many of the items might not have been ones we would have chosen, but honestly… we didn’t have a bad dish in the mix. They were all fabulous!

First, we started with some cocktails. David had the Executive Decision and I had the California Roots. Both were amazing and probably ones we wouldn’t normally have ordered. The California Roots would have turned me off originally because who thinks of putting avocado in a cocktail? Honestly, I would go back to CPK just to order this drink. It was THAT good.

The kids were anxious to try the Ham & Swiss Flatbread, which was like a grown up, sophisticated version of a ham & cheese. With goat cheese and caramelized onions, it was pretty fab.

And we also had to try the Avocado Club Egg Rolls. It’s like a club sandwich rolled into a crunchy wonton, really a meal in itself. This with one of the cocktails would be perfect. Mmmmmm….

So, main course time. We are definitely fish lovers, but when I walk into a CPK I would not think to order a fish dish. We were prodded to try one of the new bestselling items, the Hearth Roasted Halibut. What makes this extra special is that the fish is actually roasted on a cedar plank in the pizza oven. It sits on a bed of butternut squash farro & baby kale and comes with asparagus (which was cooked perfectly, I might add… nobody every cooks asparagus perfectly). The fish was out of this world. So amazing and I don’t even know if I’ve ever really had halibut before. David and I polished this off in no time (the kids even thought it was good) and it is definitely going to be at the top of our list to order the next time we visit.

As soon as Temera (my teen chef of a daughter) heard about the California Club Pizza (because how can you go to CPK and not order a pizza?) she was hooked. Basically this has all of your favorite things topped on a pizza crust. Bacon, chicken, mozzarella, avocado, arugula, basil and romaine tossed in a lemon-pepper mayo that is crazy good. New favorite for sure!

After appetizers and meals, we were STUFFED! But apparently not stuffed enough to pass up dessert. These desserts were unbelievable! Seriously unbelievable. We started off with the Strawberry Shortcake. To. Die. For. Instead of actual shortcake, this is made with a fresh, homemade biscuit that CPK makes every morning. It’s topped with ice cream, whipped cream and strawberry sauce… and to finish it off, they add some sugared lemon zest.

I can’t even begin to tell you about this next dessert. It’s simply called Butter Cake, but there is nothing simple about it. I can’t describe it… but you MUST order it. MUST MUST MUST! I am going to CPK and order JUST dessert because I don’t think I’ve ever had something this good. Seriously… just order it. You won’t regret it.

So, we rarely order one dessert, much less three… but how can you resist a cup full of S’mores? This is almost like a rich, dark chocolate pudding with graham crackers and melted marshmallows. Definitely an adult version of the campfire favorite.

Before we even left the restaurant, everyone was asking when we could go back. But the menu isn’t the only thing that’s been updated. To celebrate their 30th anniversary, the 280 restaurants are undergoing a transformation to create a more relaxed, fresh and inviting atmosphere. With walls, tables and doors all made from reclaimed wood, counter tops of natural store, and living herb gardens, the restaurant takes on a very warm, comforting feel. It’s almost like being at home in your own dining room. Artwork will be slightly different at each location to reflect local landmarks and give each site it’s own personality.

Although CPK is a chain restaurant, they have worked really hard to not feel like a chain restaurant. From the management to the staff to the food and decor, I’m loving the new CPK. Check it out yourself and tell me what your favorite menu item is. And by the way… they still have their famous BBQ Chicken and Chopped Salad that I love.

For more information on California Pizza Kitchen visit cpk.com. Follow us on Twitter @calpizzakitchen, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/californiapizzakitchen and stay connected through http://instagram.com/californiapizzakitchen.