Restaurant Reviews

CPK Enters their Next Chapter

CPK
CPK
If I had tried this, the dough would be on my head or on the floor. But this gentleman does this hundreds of times a day and is very good at it.

What is it about taking iconic businesses with three names and turning them into an acronym? Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC. Colorado’s own American Furniture Warehouse became AFW. And now California Pizza Kitchen is CPK. I guess it’s just hipper, in addition to saving a lot of space on signage. It’s also a good opportunity for a company to re-brand which is the case with California Pizza Kitchen.

In addition to new artwork, natural woods, an open kitchen and bar area that lends itself to conversing with the talented bartenders serving craft cocktails and regional brews, sliding glass doors that open up onto a large outdoor patio for a seamless indoor/outdoor flow, there are also new and seasonal menu items. The Cherry Creek location of CPK is the first in Colorado to be part of what they are calling the “Next Chapter.”

Although CPK has always had salads and other non-pizza options, the pizza has always been its claim to fame, deservedly so. Their BBQ Chicken pizza has been a long-time favorite. They’ve kept the classics but have also added some additional seasonal items such as the Sunny Side Up Pizza (see below) and other entrees including the Hearth-Roasted Halibut, wild-caught in Alaska, accompanied by butternut squash/kale farro – very progressive of them.

The Cherry Creek location’s revamp happened about four months ago, coinciding (coincidentally or not) with the opening of RH, Restoration Hardware’s very amped up – new flagship store that overlooks CPK along the 1st Avenue side of the Cherry Creek Mall. We attended the opening of the RH event (hey, another store that went with an acronym), and afterword, joined much of the RH crowd over at CPK for a late night nosh. We shared a Classic Caesar Salad and Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage pizza (all three of my favorite toppings together – bliss) which were both delicious, reminding me how good their food was. We returned again recently to take in some of their newer dishes.

CPK
In every revamped CPK, you’ll find glossy, color images of that state plus black and whites of California, CPK’s homebase. All images are iconic.
CPK
Speaking of icons, CPK’s BBQ Chicken pizza (we added pineapple) manages to get the sweet smokiness of sauce across without overwhelming the dish.
CPK
There are several seasonal dishes at CPK, one being the Sunny Side Up pizza with leeks, bacon, fingerling potatoes and sunny side up eggs. While it was delicious for dinner, the leftovers were great for breakfast too.
CPK
A nutritional powerhouse, the quinoa and arugula salad with pinion nuts, red onion and a delicate champagne vinaigrette, was one of the best salads we’ve had in ages. Add protein in the form of chicken or salmon.
CPK
The Fire-Grilled Ribeye with a dollop of a bleu cheese butter was so full of flavor, it made me hearken back to the steaks my Dad used to grill in the summer – no steak has come close since except for this one. Be sure to spread the butter mixture all over your steak to avoid condensed saltiness in one area – and because it goes so well with the meat.
CPK
We shared three desserts between the six of us – a lovely and dense Red Velvet cake, Salted Caramel Pudding served adorably in a mason jar and the deceptively delicious Butter Cake a la mode. I’m one of those people who doesn’t bother with dessert unless chocolate is prominently featured but that Butter Cake was homey and addictive.

There are five California Pizza Kitchen locations in Colorado but the Cherry Creek one is the first with the new look and new menu. It is located at 3000 E. 1st Avenue, in the Cherry Creek Mall, Denver.

Author

Related Posts