News

California Pizza Kitchen kicks some life into cauliflower this fall

September 13, 2016

Spicy cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bacon and wild mushrooms are warming up the fall menu at California Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant is adding three new seasonal specials and two new permanent menu items that will make vegetarians everywhere sprout a big green-flecked, toothy smile. 

The new seasonal items include Brussels and bacon flatbread, roasted garlic chicken and seasonal Brussel sprouts, wild mushroom strozzapreti (a rolled noodle dish) and blood orange sangria, all available until Jan. 4. 

Two new permanent menu items are also joining the offerings. The first, spicy Buffalo cauliflower, is buttermilk batter-fried and tossed in sriracha Buffalo sauce with celery, gorgonzola and cilantro.

Diners can wash down this vegetarian-friendly twist on tailgate party fare with the second new addition to the permanent menu — Beehive sangria. It blends a blanco pinot grigio with cointreau, lavender, strawberry puree, honey and lemon in what has got to be the classiest game-day drink to take the field in a long time. 

"At California Pizza Kitchen we’re continually innovating our menu, and our newest permanent food and beverage items highlight creative takes on small plates and sangrias," said Brian Sullivan, senior vice president of culinary innovation. "I absolutely love our spicy Buffalo cauliflower, a vegetarian spin on a traditional buffalo chicken appetizer that’s packed with spicy sriracha flavor. Our newest hand-crafted sangria, beehive sangria, incorporates fresh, floral notes of lavender, bright strawberry, lemon and honey. It’s delicious to sip on its own or [as] part of our sangria flight."