California Pizza Kitchen Launches Brussels Sprout And Bacon Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen has rolled out two new menu items: a pizza topped with Brussels sprouts and bacon, and a roasted beets and goat cheese salad.

The chain, which was founded in 1985 in Beverly Hills, Calif., has more than 230 locations in 32 U.S. states and 11 countries, including Mexico, Japan, and China. Their menu is full of out-of-the-box items that you wouldn't find at your average chain restaurant (like hummus, grilled chimichurri chicken, and pizzas topped with Thai chicken, pear and gorgonzola, and their trademark BBQ chicken), so their two new offerings fit fight into the business plan.

The new pizza is topped with caramelized onions, Nueske's applewood-smoked bacon, Romano and goat cheese, black pepper, and Brussels sprouts that have been hand-separated, tossed in olive oil, and charred. It's long been known that bacon and Brussels sprouts are a winning combo, and they work well together on the pie, which we had the opportunity to taste test. The Brussels sprouts were nicely cooked, still retaining a little crunch without getting soggy, and the bacon, while a bit skimpy, was thick-cut and crispy.

The new salad contains chunks of toasted beets along with red watercress and pistachios, tossed with lemon vinaigrette. It's a pairing that also works (a few more dollops of goat cheese wouldn't have hurt either), and joins other salad offerings including caramelized peach, Moroccan-spiced chicken, and Thai crunch.

Stay tuned for details on a new beverage program as well.