California Pizza Kitchen’s New Menu Features an Ina Garten-Approved Ingredient That Totally Steals the Show

• What It Is: A pizza topped with red onions, roasted tomatoes, grilled zucchini, Kalamata olives, feta, Parm, Greek oregano, EVOO and tzatziki
• Price: $19

It wouldn’t be CPK without a creative riff on pizza in the mix. Its latest addition features the chain’s classically chewy dough, topped with grilled zucchini, red onions, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta and Parm. The whole thing’s dusted with Greek oregano and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and housemade tzatziki, a salted yogurt and cucumber-based sauce.

Here, and in all three dishes, the slow-roasted tomatoes steal the show. They’re juicy, sweet and bursting with flavor—a sharp contrast to the typically bland tomatoes you get at most chains. I was immediately reminded of a tip I’d read in Ina Garten’s memoir, where she mentioned that conventional grocery store tomatoes are often so bland that: 

"If you bite into a raw one blindfolded, I'm not even sure you could identify it as a tomato," Garten writes. "But toss it in olive oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and slow-roast it to caramelize the sugars in the tomatoes, and they taste like the best summer tomatoes you've ever eaten." Given that tomato season doesn’t start until May, this is a brilliant move on CPK’s part to ensure peak flavor—and consistent quality across its nearly 200 restaurants.

While I enjoyed the pillowy dough and mix of veggies on the pizza, I did find that the tzatziki all but disappeared into the pie and wasn’t particularly noticeable. Honestly, a balsamic drizzle would’ve really punched up the flavor, giving it a needed boost of acidity.

• What It Is: North Atlantic salmon filet with roasted tomatoes, broccolini, Kalamata olives, capers, Greek oregano and garlic, drizzled in EVOO and served with lemon, basil and scallions for topping
• Price: $27

This dish puts on a show for you. It comes tightly wrapped in parchment, sealing in its juices, and let out a little gasp of steam as I opened it up. This ensured the fish was flaky and yet incredibly juicy—and that it was so tender it practically fell apart when my fork got within an inch of it. I’m not big on salmon, so I appreciated the tang of the lemon and capers to offset it (as well as, yes, those slow-roasted tomatoes). The only downside of the parchment-baked method is that the broccolini is a little soggy, though honestly, I didn’t mind it. The tender greens were a nice contrast to the mild salmon.

• What It Is: Chopped romaine, roasted cherry tomatoes, red onions, Kalamata olives, cucumbers, green peppers and mint, all tossed in lemon-herb vinaigrette and crowned with Feta slices, pepperoncinis, EVOO and Greek oregano
• Price: $14-$18, depending on size

Some will argue that traditional Greek salad doesn’t have lettuce; they’re right. But I’m also from Tarpon Springs, where a dollop of potato salad is a totally normal addition (it was a way to make heartier meals on a budget during WWII, and it stuck). So I’m OK with some variation, as long as the flavors are strong and the ingredients are quality. And that’s what I found to be true here. A full-size salad lives up to its name, easily becoming a shareable meal, with a great range of flavors in every bite. The housemade vinaigrette is zesty without overpowering, the olives are briny, punctuated by the crisp, refreshing palate cleansers that are bell pepper, cukes and romaine.

While my husband loved the sharp kick of the generous serving of pepperoncinis, I loved the slabs of salty feta—enough to add to every bite. And don’t get me started on the occasional sweet burst of roasted cherry tomatoes! I may never make a salad the same way again.

If you’d like to try the trio, you have until March 25 to do so—after that, it leaves the menu faster than a spring breaker can jet to Mykonos. (Oh, and on that note, the chain is also giving away a Mediterranean cruise to one lucky customer who signs up for its free CPK Rewards program, orders one of the limited-edition dishes and fills out the sweepstakes form on CPK.com/passport.) But even if you don’t win, a staycation with this trio isn’t a bad consolation prize.