My favorite wool sweater made its first appearance recently, signaling that the holidays are here. That means shopping — lots of shopping — and often a ravishing hunger during long gift-hunting excursions. Luckily, a couple of the local malls provide some nice alternatives to the food court, and I’ve become a fan of California Pizza Kitchen in Oxmoor Center (7900 Shelbyville Road, 425 5125).
Be forewarned: CPK will be crowded and you’ll have to wait for a table. But you’re also pretty likely to have a reliable, filling meal. Once seated, it’s easy to relax in one of the abundant, cozy, extra-large booths (perfect for storing shopping bags). Or you can sit in a bar-style seating area surrounding the open kitchen. CPK’s sunny decor nods to its West Coast origins, as do the bright yellow and black tabletops. The creamy walls with cartoonish-prints of pineapple, tomatoes and onions add colorful flair.
The chain was the brainchild of Los Angeles-based attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, who opened the first restaurant back in 1985. The menu boasts about its California-style cuisine, but I think it’s more globally inspired. Pizza flavors range from Jamaican Jerk Chicken to Thai Chicken, and from Carne Asada to an all-American Barbecue Chicken. What really sold me on the pizza was the hearth-baked crust. Pizzas were cooked quickly at a high heat, which delivered an airy, chewy crust rather than one too thick or dense.
I choose the Tostada ($12) as my go-to pizza. This Mexican-style pie was loaded with black beans, Cheddar and Monterey Jack. After it was baked, the pizza was covered with cool shredded lettuce, salsa, green onions and tortilla strips. Ranch dressing was drizzled over the entire pie. I ordered mine with the optional grilled lime chicken topping and was impressed by how comfortably all of the hot elements blended with the cold.
The Pear and Gorgonzola pizza ($10.29) holds a close second-place position. It was a little bit salad, a little bit fruit pie and a little bit pizza all wrapped into one. Thin slices of caramelized pears and onions rested on the crust, which was then blanketed with Gorgonzola, fontina and mozzarella cheeses and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts. A mound of field greens tossed in a chunky Gorgonzola ranch dressing sat on top. Again, I’m a fan of layering flavors: The creamy salad, rich cheeses, and sweet onions and pears created a harmonious amalgam of flavors. My husband wasn’t as fond of the salad topping, but I found it added a refreshing bite and texture. Pizzas were easily sharable between two people, and one person will definitely have leftovers.
The pasta portion of the menu wasn’t quite as impressive as the pizza, but I was still satisfied with my Portobello Mushroom Ravioli ($10.49). The moon-shaped discs enveloped a creamy, earthy mixture of mushrooms, herbs and cheese. You can choose either a tomato or cream-based Parmesan sauce. I opted for the marinara-style tomato, which was very chunky and full of whole tomatoes and fresh basil — a nice touch.
CPK also creates successful starters. My eyes immediately drifted toward the various selections of tortilla spring roll appetizers (Mediterranean, Baja Chicken and Thai Chicken). The Thai ($7) included six medium-size tortilla rolls stuffed with carrots, mozzarella, diced grilled chicken, scallions and cilantro, then baked until crispy and golden. Each roll oozed cheese and hints of Thai flavors, and the accompanying tangy peanut sauce made a
tasty dipper.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps ($8.29) came with five large iceberg lettuce shells — way more lettuce than filling. What stir-fried filling we received was flavorful, showcasing minced chicken with shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and green onions in a soy ginger sauce. The filling was served over a bed of crispy rice noodles and came with a side of savory chili-ginger sauce. It was fun creating my own Asian-inspired burrito, which maintained good flavor, texture and crispness. My fri/files/storyimages/was pleased with her half-portioned grilled vegetable salad ($7.49), which tossed together grilled asparagus, eggplant, zucchini, scallions, roasted corn, romaine, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado in a Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. The salad beamed with smoky fresh vegetables that were complemented by the punchy dressing. She found the half portion ample.
We ended our meal with an old-fashioned hot fudge brownie sundae ($5.29). It was served warm (as a brownie should be) and topped with cool Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. Yes, it was a little overboard. But I worked hard, um, shopping, and felt I earned it.
Photo by Tommy Downs
