California Pizza Kitchen Revisited

Mall restaurants are just that - mall restaurants They usually cater to kids who are more interesting in fast food than good food. However California Pizza Kitchen goes against this norm. You won't find anything fried or overly salted. It's not quick but it is filling. Not to mention delicious.

I revisited the one in my local mall yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. CPK as it's known made its' menu more healthier. The soups were always good but they're made even better by being totally vegetarian. Unlike other restaurant soups they're not heavily salted. Also their lunch menu offers regular portions - not these big platters that it takes two to eat. i tried their spaghettini pomodoro and was instantly won over. This was a regular portion of very thin , almost angel hair like pasta with ripe plum tomatoes and a good amount of basil. This was part of their latest menu ideas called Small Cravings where you can get a smaller version of one of their dishes.

Of course CPK will always be known for their pizza. The creators, surprisingly two lawyers from , where else - Southern California, ,Rick Rosenfeld and Larry Flax believed in giving diners healthy meals long before it was trendy. Their pizzas were the first in the country to be made with whole wheat dough. They have something new that has roasted artichoke and spinach along with four cheeses and the famed spinach artichoke sauce. They also have a Greek style pizza complete with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, peppers and olives and there is a very innovative pear and Gorgonzola pie. The restaurant still has their amazing desserts too with some new addition such as red velvet cake and butter cake served with whipped cream or ice cream.

California Pizza Kitchen is not your typical mall restaurant.It's so much more with its' delicious menu and heanthy ingredients. It serves classic food but with a fun So Cal twist!