California Pizza Kitchen has unveiled their "Recipe for
Reimagination".
Hello Foodie Friends,
I had the pleasure of attending a special intimate behind
the scenes tour where we were able to
get "up close and personal" with CPK CEO G.J. Hart and
hear firsthand about CPK's plans for South Florida.
G.J. Hart joined CPK in
2011, having come from running the successful Texas Road House chain. He
informed our group of media and food bloggers that his interest is in bringing
CPK back into the forefront by taking the soul and heritage that it is its core
and bringing it relative. He called it "Brand Evolution". They have a desire to be a trendsetter, a
leader- not a follower. "California is a mindset", says G.J.,
"not just a place. It's about the open air, the people, accepting of
others...daring to be different." He began by pointing out some of the
immediate changes that were made there at the Ft. Lauderdale CPK where we were
gathered; Namely, the addition of the beautiful bar with counter seating for 13
and additional high top and regular tables available. Signature cocktails such
as the Citrus Adobe Margarita made with Casa Migos tequila and CA Roots made
with avocado and garnished with a fennel salt rim were put out for us to try.
CPK will be incorporating lots of fresh herbs into their creative cocktails,
which can be enjoyed inside or on their new 325 square foot dog-friendly bar
patio which offers an intimate lounge-style atmosphere for up to 21 people.
In addition to their specialty cocktails, they
are rolling out a wine program, which includes the addition of brand new wine stemware
for wine pairings and wine flights; At this particular location, they
introduced a Wine on Tap, which utilizes reusable stainless steel containers,
eliminating waste and maintaining quality from grape to glass; local craft
beers are also a new welcomed addition. In the main dining room, the evolution
of the hardscaping- from the yellow, black and chrome booths to a much more
refined, still yellow comfortable ones, bringing it "relevant".
Some other notable changes
you will find at this location are the addition of communal tables that include
8 and 10 seat family-style tables (perfect for foodie gatherings), a
demographic CPK takes seriously- so much so that the company changed from using
Pepsi to Coca Cola because this is what their customers wanted. They are
appealing to a young and sophisticated clientele with higher income; those who
are aspirational in nature.
Other stylish and
practical improvements include the interactive pizza making counter which is
now a focal point, giving guests the opportunity to interact with the pizza
chefs watching their pizzas being made and even book their own hands-on pizza
making parties. A couple of us had the opportunity to get behind the counter
and try our hand at stretching and tossing their dough.
The dough, which
once contained more added sugar in the past has been replaced with natural,
lower sugar content. They even have a wonderful gluten free pizza, which we
tried and I swear I didn't miss the gluten one bit!
Their menu has other
gluten free items on it which are indicated with the "GF" symbol.
There's also a new Health & Wellness - Light Adventures section introducing
delicious, yet low cal options such as the quinoa & arugula salad; fire
roasted chili relleno and cedar plank salmon.
Although Pizza is in the
name of this restaurant, it is so much more. While we were listening intently
to G.J., dish after beautiful dish was brought out before us to try. New on the
menu are their small plates which include California Flatbreads. Made to order
on their signature crust and baked crisp in their hearth oven, we tried all
three: Bianco - Whippled truffle cream, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella and fresh sage
($5.99); Shaved Mushroom & Spinach - Cremini mushrooms, sauteed spinach,
and California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil with Romano and Parmesan.
($5.99); Spicy Fennel Sausage & Poblano - Torn sausage, fresh Mozzarella,
fire-roasted chilies and wild Greek oregano with spicy marinara. ($5.99). Other
dishes that came out for us to sample included their popular chopped BBQ
Chicken Salad, a Quinoa & Arugula Salad and the Chicken Tequila Fettuccine.
CPK is rolling out happy
hour from 3-5pm and 8:30pm - close, Monday through Thursday at the bar.
Offerings include an appetizer and drink menu with special prices on cocktails,
wine, beer and select appetizers and small plates.
Look out for a future Denise's Foodie Event interactive pizza party coming to a CPK near you!
Until we eat again...
I send you delicious wishes, xo
Denise
C.F.O. (Chief Foodie Officer)
Denise's Foodie Events
