California Pizza Kitchen Unveils New Look, New Menu

PHOTO: California Pizza Kitchen’s G.J. Hart, CEO (right), and Brian Sullivan, senior VP of Culinary Development, and more team members, flew into town this week to unveil its new look and menu. Click on photos above to see a gallery of new menu items (descriptions at bottom of story).

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California Pizza Kitchen, the restaurant that got its start selling barbecued chicken pizza in 1985 in Beverly Hills, is in the midst of a revamp, bringing customers old and new a more rustic, regional vibe and a heightened seasonally inspired sophistication to its menu. You’ll still get that delicious pizza, but now it comes hand-tossed and it might come with a side of truffle oil.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, CPK has more than 280 locations across the country. Three of those locations are in Northern Virginia: Arlington, Fairfax and Tysons Corner. Patch stopped in this week to check out the new digs and “re-imagined” menu at the Arlington location, 1201 S. Hayes St., just across the street from the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City shopping center.

The other Northern Virginia locations are at:

• 4200 Fairfax Corner West
• 7939 Tysons Corner (lower level near Nordstrom)

On hand this week at the Arlington location were G.J. Hart, CPK’s executive chairman, president and CEO, and Brian Sullivan, senior vice president of Culinary Development and the rest of the team, who flew into town from California to show off the new look and share samples of the new menu.

The restaurant was packed during our visit Tuesday at lunchtime. Changes in decor you immediately notice as you enter include rustic wood touches, a bright green and white print design on upholstered booths and even an herb garden blooming at the host stand. In addition to an eco-friendly look, the restaurant is also using recycled paper for its napkins and debuted new dishware.

You can watch all the preparations — you’ll see pizza dough being tossed in the air and wood-fired pizza ovens — at the open kitchen.

Must-try items on the new menu include:

• Wild Mushroom Pizza: Shaved Cremini, Shiitake, Portobello and white mushrooms with slivered scallions, cracked black pepper, Romano and Mozzarella. Finished with Parmesan.
• Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage Pizza: Cremini mushrooms, rustic pepperoni, spicy Italian sausage, fresh torn basil, Mozzarella, and wild Greek Oregano
• Harvest Kale Salad: Baby kale, toasted farro, roasted butternut squash, Napa cabbage, shaved pear, marinated cranberries, spiced pecans and goat cheese tossed with housemade citrus vinaigrette.

The new handcrafted cocktails on the menu include drinks made with Casamigos tequila, the brand made famous by one of its owners, actor George Clooney. You can check out its smooth taste in The Executive Decision, a recipe that includes Casamigos Tequila Blanco, muddled mint, fresh Agave Sour, Monin Organic Agave Nectar, fresh lime.

Other new drinks to try:

• Blood Orange Sangria: Seasonal sangria with Bacardi Limón, Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, St. Germain Elderflower, blood orange purée and fresh agave nectar.
• California Roots: Svedka Vodka, fresh avocadoand mint, fresh Agave Sour, fennel salt rim
• Blueberry Ginger Smash: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Monin Organic Agave Nectar, Domaine de Canton, Ginger, fresh blueberries and lime, cranberry juice
• Harvest Sangria: A crisp unique blend of Bacardi Superior Rum, St. Germain Elderflower and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay with muddled grapes
• Strawberry Mango Cooler (non-alcoholic): Fresh strawberries hand-shaken with Fresca and Monin South Seas, featuring natural flavors of mango, guava, and ginger

See an array of more delicious items on the new menu in the photo gallery at the top of the page:

PHOTOS by Patch: (2) Brussels + Bacon Flatbread: Roasted Brussels sprouts with sweet caramelized onions, Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, creamy goat cheese, Romano and cracked black pepper. (3) Hearth-Roasted Halibut: Wild caught Alaskan Halibut roasted on a cedar plank with grilled asparagus and butternut squash farro & baby kale. (4) Fire-Grilled Ribeye: 12oz USDA choice ribeye grilled with house-made Pinot Noir sea salt and topped with creamy bleu cheese butter. Served with roasted fingerling potatoes and lemon-garlic wild arugula salad. (5) A sampling of CPK’s new hand-crafted cocktails (6) Salted Caramel Pudding: Rich caramel pudding, black cocoa cookie crumbs, homemade whipped cream, caramel sauce, and natural flaked sea salt.