California Pizza Kitchen

Is CPK trying to be fancy destination dining, or mainstream chain food? Their locations in shopping malls, their mass marketing, their uniform service all indicate mainstream chain food. But their prices say fancy dining. Something is not right.

Single pizzas and salads are in the range of $12 each. When the restaurant is set next door to a Panda Express and Ruby’s Diner (now closed) at Paseo Nuevo – both cheap chain food eats – I wonder how CPK can compete. Yet, it’s always busy.

I avoided CPK for years, and it wasn’t until it was the meal provided at a working lunch that I first tried it. It’s good, it’s fine, it’s definitely more creative with its topping combinations than other pizza chains. If I had to choose between CPK and, uh, avoiding the Noid, I’ll take CPK.

A bonus with CPK is that they often seem to be participating in fundraisers for local charities, where a percentage of the bill of specific dates will be donated. I respect that.

I ate there the other day and shared the small pizza with one other. We ordered the mango chicken curry pizza and yes, it was good. But…couldn’t we have gone to the local Indian restaurant, ordered a curry and spooned it onto our naan? It’s the same thing.

I’ll probably eat here again, but only after I’ve exhausted all other options, or if the company is paying.

California Pizza Kitchen
719 Paseo Nuevo
Santa Barbara, CA 93101