California Pizza Kitchen

[bcla]

He was indeed instrumental, in transforming it from a beautiful product into mass marketed junk. The CPK frozen Pizza in the super for $5 a piece is probably only about 3-5% behind what you get at the restaurant.
Note that in no way should that statement be taken as a compliment of their frozen pizza.

A lot of people have created high quality mass-market food. Jacques Pepin created recipes for Howard Johnson, and he noted that he learned a lot by creating recipes for their commissary that would serve thousands of people per day.

Yeah - I don't necessarily get the appeal of CPK. I grew up on cheap pizza slices from a hole in the wall, and graduated to high quality pizza at a reasonable price.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Cannot, I'm in Chicago, and don't think CPK is garbage. And it's always packed when I walk in so clearly others don't either.

 

[bcla]

Cannot, I'm in Chicago, and don't think CPK is garbage. And it's always packed when I walk in so clearly others don't either.

I don't think it's garbage, but then again I don't see the appeal. It's kind of like Cheesecake Factory that way. Not that bad if someone else insists on going, but there's usually better out there for less money.

 

[Aliceacc]

I LOVE their garlic chicken pizza!!!! It was off the menu for a while; I'm so glad to see that it has returned.

And our local CPK, 45 minutes from Manhattan, is always packed as well.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I don't think it's garbage, but then again I don't see the appeal. It's kind of like Cheesecake Factory that way. Not that bad if someone else insists on going, but there's usually better out there for less money.

There is better out there but Chicago is a deep dish kind of city. Yes I love Lou Malnati's but I don't always want deep dish when I feel like pizza. CPK is a good option for those nights when I don't want to feel like I weigh 500 pounds after dinner.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I think their frozen pizzas are okay for a frozen pizza. Not a fan of the restaurants.

 

[Deb]

I like their chopped salad

 

[Squirlz]

There is better out there but Chicago is a deep dish kind of city. Yes I love Lou Malnati's but I don't always want deep dish when I feel like pizza. CPK is a good option for those nights when I don't want to feel like I weigh 500 pounds after dinner.

All of the pizza places here have thin crust options here. Have you tried Pequod's?

 

[Pacolovestacos]

All of the pizza places here have thin crust options here. Have you tried Pequod's?

They all have thin crust options but I just don't love most of them. When I go thin, I prefer the neopolitan crust.

RE: Pequod's, it's delicious. But I live in the suburbs now and Pequod's is an hour away from me, so not always an option. Definitely go there at least a couple times a year though. But I'm in love with their deep dish so that's normally what I get. Their thin crust is pretty good though.