By GABRIELLA FAKHOURY
After a long day of shopping the smell of brick oven pizza and sizzling chicken wafts through the air-enticing passers by to stop in and take a bite of California Pizza Kitchen.
As one enters the restaurant, a host seats him right away. The brick oven and the smell of fresh dough and sweet mozzarella cheese that satisfies the senses, warm the chilly restaurant. The atmosphere is cozy with booths and table top seating available. Pizza boxes act as art from all the years it has been opened. This is the perfect restaurant for family and friends or for a birthday dinner.
The Chicken Milanese ($15.25) is outstanding. The chicken sautéed is sliced thin topped with arugula, shaved grana padano parmeson, tomatoes, basil, garlic and drizzled in olive oil. It is the perfect lunch or dinner for someone on a diet or just trying to eat healthy. The cheese pizza ($9.50) is mouth watering. Cooked in the brick oven, when one takes a bite of it the sweet dough and the mixture of the sweetness from the sauce is extraordinary. The cheese is sweet perfectly placed on the dough; there is not too much and not too little.
California Pizza Kitchen offers a number of desserts after lunch. Tiramisu ($6.25) is the best bet. The coffee inside the tiramisu is not too strong, the cream is sweet and the Italian cream cheese covers it with coco powder for extra flavor.
Parking is right outside of the restaurant and there is always available parking spots. CPK is in the Florida Mall next to Buca di Beppo toward the back of the mall. There is another location at the Mall at Millenia in the food court. i give this restaurant four stars.