Checking Out CPK in Manhattan Beach
Earlier this month we were invited to visit our local California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) in Manhattan Beach and try out their new menu. We didn’t know that CPK had revamped their menu to include several new items, including some fabulous cocktails.
Now, normally I wouldn’t think of CPK as a bar / gastropub type place where I’d head for drinks with friends, but I can definitely see myself ordering a drink with dinner. It was nice to see they have fun, seasonal cocktails on their menu and not just the traditional beer and wine list.
We got to sample a variety of items on the new menu. The first were soups. Only two of the soups were gluten-free – the farmer’s market and the baked potato. I was a big fan of the farmer’s market soup. It had roasted squash and mixed vegetables with olive oil drizzled on the top of the soup and it was just delicious. I have been thinking about that bowl of soup since I had it. It was so good.
CPK also has a certified gluten-free menu. Our server let us know that while many of the items on the menu are “gluten friendly” (meaning no gluten ingredients), the only items on the menu that are certified gluten-free are the pizzas. They are prepared in a special section of the kitchen and meet all certified gluten free requirements. We got to try the gluten-free BBQ chicken pizza. It was quite a treat! The gluten-free BBQ chicken pizza even came out with a gluten-free stick in it so you can be sure it was marked properly.
Another new item on the CPK menu is steak. Yes, steak. Pretty cool, right? My husband tried the ribeye. It was a 12 oz topped with bleu cheese butter. I didn’t try it, but my husband said it was really good and cooked nicely.
Last on the menu was dessert. The seasonal dessert right now is pumpkin cheesecake (it’s that time of year!) which my husband also tried and really enjoyed.
We enjoyed our fun night out and Baby Awesome slept through the whole dinner! I think it’s great to see CPK expanding their menu and looking forward to eating there again soon.
What about you? What do you order when you go to CPK? Did you know they serve steak and cocktails? Post in the comments and let me know!
*Disclosure: My husband and I were invited to try out CPK’s new menu. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.
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