Old Favorites and New Twists at CPK

I have this problem.

When I go to restaurants I like – which is often, since once I’ve decided the restaurant is good I will most definitely return – I feel compelled to order my favorite dish.

You might ask what’s the problem, then? Simply put, I never try anything new. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke, right?

Because I am a big fan of California Pizza Kitchen (118 Shawan Road), you’ve probably guessed that I have my favorites. You can’t go wrong with the roasted garlic chicken pizza ($12.49) because really, when is pizza and garlic ever a bad idea? And when I’m in the mood for a salad, the Thai crunch salad ($12.99 full, $9.49 half) never disappoints with its edamame, crispy wontons, peanuts and mouth-watering lime-cilantro and Thai peanut dressings.

But on this visit to CPK, I was in the mood for something new.

I couldn’t go totally off the wall, however. I started with a cup of my favorite winter comfort soup, CPK’s Sedona tortilla soup ($3.99 cup, $5.99 bowl). The crunchy tortilla strips on top provided the perfect texture combination when paired with the creamy, tomato based soup with a kick. I also taste-tested the Dakota smashed pea and barley soup ($3.99 cup, $5.99 bowl) and was pleased with the choice of barley to accompany the peas instead of the usual choice of salty ham.

Where did I go a little crazy? With the pizza. Once upon a time in the faraway land of Italy, I was pleasantly surprised by a delicious dish of pear ravioli. I haven’t had anything like it since, so I figured I’d give CPK’s pear and gorgonzola pizza ($12.49) a go.

I don’t know if I was full from my soup or from sampling everyone else’s meals, but I started to feel less than enamored with my pizza by the second slice.

The pears, caramelized along with sweet onions, sat alongside chopped hazelnuts in the mix of gorgonzola, fontina and mozzarella cheese. On top was a mini salad of field greens in gorgonzola ranch dressing.

I’m inclined to say I wasn’t just full – but also somewhat grossed out. I like pears, cheese, and hazelnuts, but maybe not together.

Luckily for me, I’m already well educated in the delectable dishes CPK has to offer. While I like my soup in the wintertime, I opt for the crisp and cool, Asian-inspired lettuce wraps during the warmer months.

I also sampled the new California club sandwich ($10.99) with turkey breast, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and mayonnaise served on herb onion focaccia. CPK offers the sandwich with chicken instead of turkey and garlic cheese focaccia instead of herb onion. Either way, the Panini-style sandwich was flavorful and the bread made it an above-average club.

Rather than take home the leftovers of my own pizza, I snagged the leftovers of the pizza of one of my fellow diners. The BBQ chicken with applewood smoked bacon pizza ($13.99) offered a mix of smoky and sweet that made me wish I hadn’t gone with a fruit pizza.

Overall, the service was great. It’s clear CPK keeps their customers in mind, taking call-aheads to lessen wait times, offering honey-wheat whole grain crusted pizza for the carb-conscious, and making ordering out even easier by allowing guests to do it online.

The moral of the story? Pear and gorgonzola may not be one of my favorites, but CPK still is.