FOODIE

Pizza, With The Works
By Luann & Christine /foodie@longislandernews.com

With the warm weather fast approaching and rain clouds drifting away – at least, we hope – there seemed no better place for a summer dinner than one that conveys thoughts of palm trees, beaches and sunshine. And so, we found ourselves at California Pizza Kitchen.

Located in the Walt Whitman Mall, California Pizza Kitchen is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of shopping. The restaurant has a lively, diverse menu featuring an array of appetizers, soup, salads and pizza, as well as pastas, chicken and fish specialties, all at moderate prices. You can even order take-out online.

What stands out the most is the apparent worldliness of the menu. Moroccan Chicken Salad ($12.99) boats Moroccan-spiced chicken breast with butternut squash and dates, Thai Chicken ($12.79) comes with meat marinated in a peanut-ginger and sesame sauce and Chicken Piccata ($15.49) channels traditional Italian roots.

We perused the menu while sipping on the perfect summer beverage – lemonade, though this wasn’t just any lemonade. At California Pizza Kitchen, you have a choice of strawberry, peach, raspberry, mango or kiwi-flavored lemonades. We went with glasses of peach and kiwi, but were impressed by the variety of not only the lemonade, but iced tea and specialty sodas as well.

We started with the Avocado Club Egg Rolls ($9.79). A “fusion of East and West,” a wonton roll is fried to a greaseless crisp and stuffed with sizable pieces of ripe avocado, tender chicken, diced tomato, melted Monterey Jack cheese that stays hot and gooey, and applewood smoked bacon. Though it could overwhelm the roll, the flavor of the bacon is almost subtle, but tasty. The rolls come with your choice of two sauces – “ranchito” sauce and herb ranch dressing. Both balance the avocado and bacon taste well.

The sesame ginger chicken dumplings ($7.29) caught our eye, as did the smashed pea and barley soup ($5.99/$3.99) but we decided to move on to – what else? – pizza. California Pizza Kitchen offers 30 different pizzas, all with honey wheat dough available upon request, as well as five thin crust pizzas.

We are never steered wrong by the Original BBQ Chicken pizza ($12.99), “invented here in 1985,” as the California Pizza Kitchen people like to say. The barbecue sauce is sweet and slightly smoky, while the Gouda and mozzarella cheeses play well off one another. Topped with chicken, red onions and cilantro, it’s a sure treat.

When we just can’t decide, we go with The Works ($12.79), topped with sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni, sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, onions, green peppers, black olives and tomato sauce. It’s the best of everything.

Feeling a change of pace, we went with the Pear & Gorgonzola ($12.49). Topped with caramelized pears and caramelized sweet onions, it’s a welcome dish for the summer season. Gorgonzola, Fontina and mozzarella cheeses finish it off, with chopped hazelnuts and field greens as well as Gorgonzola ranch dressing. Though some might think it sounds like too many toppings, we were pleasantly surprised. The pears and onions are sweet but not too sweet, and the ranch dressing curtails the strong flavor of the cheese.

We topped the night off with a huge piece of Red Velvet Cake ($6.29), three layers of moist red velvet cake frosted with vanilla bean cream cheese and white chocolate curls. Talk about a happy ending.

Chipotle Chicken pizza ($11.99), The Greek pizza ($11.99), Cheeseburger Pizza ($12.79) and the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken pizza ($13.49) are on our list for the next visit, as are some of the unique pasta dishes, including Chicken Tequila Fettuccine ($12.99) and Kung Pao Spaghetti ($10.49).

California Pizza Kitchen
160 Route 110
Huntington Station
631-423-7565
www.cpk.com

Atmosphere: Fun-loving, casual

Cuisine: Specialty pizza, American dishes with international flare

Price range: Moderate

Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.;
Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.;
Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: noon – 9 p.m.

Main Menu