California Pizza Kitchen - I hope this little upstart makes it

Pretty much all the restaurants I've blogged about are local restaurants, maybe a restaurant that has 2 locations tops. Well, I'm not a total chain-snob, as one of my personal favorite restaurants has come to Pittsburgh (finally).

California Pizza Kitchen only seems as if they have a location everywhere but Pittsburgh. The closest they seem to be, before now, was Philly. And everyone knows that unless you have family there, there's no reason to visit Philly.

On a chilly Wednesday night, DB~ and I met at Ross Park Mall (in the site of the old Lens Crafters) to sample the delicious mallside pizzas created here. The decor inside is suburban chic, with good lighting but very clean and neat lines and building materials. The kitchen is wide open so you can watch the food being prepared. I watched the army of people (estimated 15 in the kitchen plus 10 on the floor like servers) scurrying around completing their tasks.

I went with my personal favorite, the California Club. It has chicken chunks and bacon on it, then is topped when it comes out with lettuce dipped in mayo and slices of avacodo and tomato. Here's a picture of my half-eaten pizza. Again, DB~ had to remind me to take pictures. Worst. Food Blogger. Ever.



DB~ went with the Goat Cheese and Roasted Peppers pizza, but it actually has a bunch more veggies on it like eggplant, red and yellow peppers, and carmelized onions. For a borderline vegetarian like DB~, this was a perfect choice. Here's her pizza:



Most of their pizzas can be topped with a protein, like chicken or shrimp, for a extra charge. And also for an extra charge all pizzas can be made on their thin crust, which is almost like a flatbread in crispness.

Another good thing about California Pizza Kitchen is that they have a full bar, so feel free to go get crunked in the middle of shopping for gifts this upcoming holiday season. One of these days I'll have to get something other than a pizza here, as they have a very extensive menu. But for now I'll keep sampling some of the other delicious creations that come in a round shape.