Attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax traded in the courtroom for the dining room in 1985 because they wanted to give the public pizza with a twist.
Having always wanted to get into the restaurant business, they pitched their legal pads and turned toward California-style pizzas. They reinvented pizza in the United States when they opened the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills, which broke the mold by offering an entirely new taste experience.
The first pizza on the menu, original bbq chicken, jolted pizza lovers out of pepperoni-mode and into BLT bliss, Thai chicken euphoria and Jamaican jerk nirvana. Not limiting their menu to just pizza, the innovators created a selection of appetizers, pastas, salads, soups, sandwiches and divine desserts.
Over the years, the chain has grown to 240 restaurants, one of which opened in Vista in 2006. California Pizza Kitchen, affectionately referred to as CPK by regulars, recently added some new items to its menu and also brought back a few old favorites.
Lauren Rice, general manager of the Vista location, said customers will be happy to hear that the pear and gorgonzola pizza has returned to the menu. The uniquely delicious pizza includes caramelized pears, gorgonzola, fontina and mozzarella cheeses, caramelized sweet onions and chopped hazelnuts topped with field greens tossed in gorgonzola ranch dressing.
New to the menu is the buffalo chicken pizza, which features grilled chicken marinated in buffalo sauce with mozzarella cheese, carrots, celery and crumbled gorgonzola cheese, served with a side of gorgonzola ranch dressing.
“It's like eating a basket of wings on a pizza,” Rice said. “It's awesome.”
Other new menu items include asparagus and spinach spaghettini, miso salad, CPK cobb salad, red velvet cake and ginger salmon, among others. The new sonora egg rolls add Mexican flair to the appetizer section of the menu.
The tangy wonton rolls are stuffed with grilled lime chicken, roasted corn and black bean salsa, cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, fire-roasted mild chilies, green onions and cilantro.
But CPK will always be known for its signature hearth-baked pizzas. The restaurant offers some unusual pizzas like mango tandoori chicken, greek, chipotle chicken, carne asada, shrimp scampi, tostada and California club.
“Anywhere you want to go in the world, we have a pizza for it. We really want our guests to explore and try new things,” Rice said.
She said CPK offers an adventure guarantee that allows patrons to try items on the menu without risk because they don't have to pay for it if they don't like it.
“Nine times out of 10 they really end up enjoying it,” Rice added.
CPK also allows children to explore the restaurant through tours that give kids the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes, learn about hand washing and cross contamination, make their own pizzas and answer trivia questions. The tours are free for school classes and after-school programs. Birthday tours are available for $10 per child.
The restaurant also offers curbside takeout and off-site catering for corporate and major events.
Rice said California Pizza Kitchen has grown into a household name because people know they're consistently going to receive fresh, high quality food.
“We have people that come in two to three times a week. That isn't something you see at every restaurant,” she said.
California Pizza Kitchen
307 Vista Village Drive, Vista
(760) 631-5601 | www.cpk.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Having always wanted to get into the restaurant business, they pitched their legal pads and turned toward California-style pizzas. They reinvented pizza in the United States when they opened the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills, which broke the mold by offering an entirely new taste experience.
The first pizza on the menu, original bbq chicken, jolted pizza lovers out of pepperoni-mode and into BLT bliss, Thai chicken euphoria and Jamaican jerk nirvana. Not limiting their menu to just pizza, the innovators created a selection of appetizers, pastas, salads, soups, sandwiches and divine desserts.
Over the years, the chain has grown to 240 restaurants, one of which opened in Vista in 2006. California Pizza Kitchen, affectionately referred to as CPK by regulars, recently added some new items to its menu and also brought back a few old favorites.
Lauren Rice, general manager of the Vista location, said customers will be happy to hear that the pear and gorgonzola pizza has returned to the menu. The uniquely delicious pizza includes caramelized pears, gorgonzola, fontina and mozzarella cheeses, caramelized sweet onions and chopped hazelnuts topped with field greens tossed in gorgonzola ranch dressing.
New to the menu is the buffalo chicken pizza, which features grilled chicken marinated in buffalo sauce with mozzarella cheese, carrots, celery and crumbled gorgonzola cheese, served with a side of gorgonzola ranch dressing.
“It's like eating a basket of wings on a pizza,” Rice said. “It's awesome.”
Other new menu items include asparagus and spinach spaghettini, miso salad, CPK cobb salad, red velvet cake and ginger salmon, among others. The new sonora egg rolls add Mexican flair to the appetizer section of the menu.
The tangy wonton rolls are stuffed with grilled lime chicken, roasted corn and black bean salsa, cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, fire-roasted mild chilies, green onions and cilantro.
But CPK will always be known for its signature hearth-baked pizzas. The restaurant offers some unusual pizzas like mango tandoori chicken, greek, chipotle chicken, carne asada, shrimp scampi, tostada and California club.
“Anywhere you want to go in the world, we have a pizza for it. We really want our guests to explore and try new things,” Rice said.
She said CPK offers an adventure guarantee that allows patrons to try items on the menu without risk because they don't have to pay for it if they don't like it.
“Nine times out of 10 they really end up enjoying it,” Rice added.
CPK also allows children to explore the restaurant through tours that give kids the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes, learn about hand washing and cross contamination, make their own pizzas and answer trivia questions. The tours are free for school classes and after-school programs. Birthday tours are available for $10 per child.
The restaurant also offers curbside takeout and off-site catering for corporate and major events.
Rice said California Pizza Kitchen has grown into a household name because people know they're consistently going to receive fresh, high quality food.
“We have people that come in two to three times a week. That isn't something you see at every restaurant,” she said.
California Pizza Kitchen
307 Vista Village Drive, Vista
(760) 631-5601 | www.cpk.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday