We love California, and we love pizza, it’s that simple! When I entered California Pizza Kitchen for the first time this Summer, I immediately got a family vibe. The restaurant itself was presented in a Cali style themed decor that showed off the golden state’s humble side with multiple pictures of actual places located in California. Even better, the service my family and I received was stellar, and every question we had about the menu or any matter was answered with enthusiasm. Oh, Right! The food! Yes, yes, we’ll get to that, the food was incredible. INCREDIBLE.
Let’s get into it!
Beverages:
Photo Credit “Mathew King”
My mom took sips of most of the drinks I’m about to mention, not because I didn’t like them, just because I’m not allowed to drink them legally until I turn 21! My favorite was the Fresh Strawberry Mango Cooler! ( Non-alcoholic )
Blue Berry Ginger Smash: This tall and elegant drink was a mix of Jack Daniel’s, cranberry juice, and lime juice topped with blueberries and ginger to tickle your eyes with visuals.
Mom’s Reaction ” I’m not a huge Blue Berry Fan. However, it was hard for me to put down the Blue Berry Ginger Smash.”
Fresh Strawberry Mango Cooler: This drink is non-alcoholic, and it’s fabulous. The beverage itself is garnished with sweet strawberries and acidic limes and the glass it’s served in sits nice and tall, almost certain to quench your thirst. I enjoyed it myself because the drink had great balance, it wasn’t too citrus, and it also wasn’t too sweet, great drink.
Strawberry Lime Margarita: Like the drink above, this drink is also satisfying to gaze upon. Garnished with fresh strawberries, the Strawberry Lime Margarita will grab the attention of anyone sitting by you.
Mom’s Reaction ” This was the best Strawberry Margarita, I’ve ever tasted! The theater is close to the California Pizza Kitchen in Cerritos, so I can easily see Matt and I stopping here just for drinks after the show.”
Appetizers:
Me and my family tried a little bit of everything the table ordered, and I loved that experience, I would recommend your family to try the same. Picking pieces off of each dish made me realize how diverse CPK’s menu is, there has got to be something for everyone. The appetizers were strong, and they shouted ‘California’ with each bite.
Photo Credit “Mathew King”
Lobster Flatbread: I appreciated the amount of lobster that came with this appetizer as I feel most places would have jipped me. The flatbread was nice and crunchy, allowing it to blend well with the soft and creamy lobster. The presentation of the dish was spot on, so all in all you could eat this with your eyes and your mouth.
Spinach Artichoke Dip: I was lucky to get even a bite of this because my family shrouded it like animals. The dip was warm and thick, and there weren’t any watery aspects to it at all, it was easy to catch on the tortilla chips served with it.
Mom’s Reaction to the Avocado Club Egg Rolls “I could eat these every day! The Avocado Clue Egg Rolls are my second favorite. They would be my first however, CPK had to slide in their new Lobster Flatbread, are my favorite item on the entire menu”
Garlic bread: Wasn’t my favorite of the three other’s I mentioned but it was pleasant. The bread was warm and toasty served with a herb dipping sauce, so at the end of the day there wasn’t a piece of it left over.
Entrees:
The entrees are what me and the family most anticipated, reading the menu I immediately knew what I wanted, and we were all stunned at the presentation of our food as soon as it arrived. I love pizza just like the rest of the world, but these particular pizzas I’m about to mention are to die for. There are also other things you can try such as their perfectly cooked steak and chicken dishes that were outstanding.
Photo Credit “Mathew King”
The Sicilian: My favorite of the four entrees me and my family tried and possibly one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. It brought me to Italy and melted my taste buds with waves of flavor, some unique takes on pizza turn out to be overwhelming, this one wasn’t.
The Barbeque Chicken Pizza: Deemed as the fan favorite, this pizza is guaranteed to delight you the same way it delighted my party. If you’re in a group of four, I would recommend ordering two of these bad boys, the multiple flavors this pizza delivered punched me in the mouth, in a good way!
Fire Grilled Ribeye: Me and my mother had to tag team this one, my brother was lucky enough to get a single bite. This steak came topped with butter and served with fingerling potatoes and a freshly seasoned salad. The ribeye was cooked to perfection and it wasn’t cold in the center, which is a common pet peeve for those who order their steaks medium rare.
Our three favorite
Desserts:
I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite dessert out of the three I’m about to mention. The strawberry shortcake made me emotional, and the s’mores were an American classic brought to higher standards.
Photo Credit “Mathew King”
Strawberry Shortcake: The best kinds of the desserts are the one’s that bear the most guilt, and let’s just say I felt the need to do a few pushups after this one. The best part of this dessert had to be the southern style biscuit, or maybe the Haagen Dazs ice cream, or maybe the fresh strawberries! Who knows? This treat blew my mind, and the portion that was served was rather generous, I would advise couples to share this one.
S’mores: This dessert is brand new to the CPK menu, and I think many consumers will stand by it’s stay. Mason jars have blown up across social media, we see pizzas and salads in mason jars, now s’mores got their turn. It’s important that you dip your spoon deep into the jar so you can collect some marshmallow, Belgium chocolate pudding, chunks of actual chocolate, and some double graham cracker.
Butter Cake: Not into s’mores or strawberry shortcake? No worries at all, the Butter Cake is just for you. It’s simple, moist, warm, and soft, it get’s straight to the point, and it’s served with Haagen Dazs ice cream, what could go wrong?
That’s all for now, we hope you’re encouraged to go try a little bit of everything at California Pizza Kitchen.
Until next time!
JJ King.
Restaurants 90623, 90715, 90713, 90706, 90650, 90706, 90638, 90621
rochelle haynes says
Love to try this looks good