The Wells Fargo location is very close to the recently built Disney Concert Hall and the Music Center. California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) isn’t a fancy restaurant, but it fills you up with several varieties of gourmet pizzas, pastas, and salads. The food is Californian, which is an eclectic mix of Asian, Mexican, and American.
Service is good, but it depends on how busy the restaurant is that night. Sometimes I get a waitress that takes longer than necessary. If you are trying to make it to the theater, it is a good choice. Most items do not take that long to prepare. Bathrooms are easy access from the dining room. There is free parking in the Wells Fargo lot, but make sure you take your ticket for validation. I always valet park, but there is self-parking as well. Valet parking is also free.
I like to order the Singapore Shrimp Rolls for an appetizer. It’s shrimp, broccoli, Shiitake mushrooms, Romaine lettuce, carrots, noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, and cilantro wrapped in rice paper. It’s served chilled with a sesame ginger dipping sauce and Szechwan coleslaw. I’ve tried the CPK Club salad and the Oriental Chicken salad. I found the CPK club salad too bland and plain for my taste. I prefer the Oriental Chicken salad of the two.
My favorite pizza is the Caramelized Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza, which has caramelized pears, gorgonzola, Fontina, and Mozzarella cheeses, caramelized onions, chopped hazelnuts and a salad right in the middle of the pizza with herb ranch dressing. It’s very light and tastes healthy, although I’m sure it’s not with all the pizza crust and creamy salad dressing, but it’s probably healthier than Domino’s. I also like the Original Barbeque Chicken, but that’s something that you can get from the nearest grocery store, so I stick to pizzas I can’t get from the freezer of a store. Of the pastas, I have tried the Thai Linguine, the Chicken Tequila Fettuccine, and the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli. I liked all three.
There are complimentary refills on their drinks. I usually order iced tea or strawberry lemonade. I have tried their Tiramisu, Sweet Italian cream cheese and marsala custard between layers of espresso and rum-laced lady fingers topped with shaved bitter-sweet chocolate. I did not like their tiramisu as much as the ones I have tried elsewhere.
The tables are fairly close together, so you can hear the conversations going on at the next table. The crowd is mostly the pre-theater dining crowd or downtown businesspeople putting in a late night and grabbing dinner. The restaurant is a good value. You get a lot of food for what you pay. I always end up taking a box of leftovers home whenever I dine at CPK. I recommend this restaurant, especially if you are going to the theater afterward.