A Food Editor’s Review & Ranking of California Pizza Kitchen’s New Salads

• What It Is: filet mignon, crispy smashed potatoes, roasted tomatoes, red onions and Gorgonzola atop arugula and lettuce in Dijon balsamic vinaigrette
• Price: from $18

I was most excited for this one because of the steak and spuds alone, but it fell a bit short of my expectations. The potatoes weren’t crispy or smashed; they were basically underdone potato wedges and had the vibe of tossing leftover fries you forgot about in the fridge into a fresh salad. That said, they were very tasty and well-seasoned—they just weren’t as advertised. The steak was also seared very hard, tougher than anticipated and there were only four pieces in our half-salad portion. I’d prefer a cheaper cut than filet mignon and more of it, personally. The roasted tomatoes were the best part, with their jammy texture and sweet, acidic flavor. The gorgonzola was funky and rich, but there wasn’t enough of it.

• What It Is: smoked ham, salami, Brie, Parmesan, green apple and candied walnuts atop greens in Dijon-balsamic vinaigrette and sesame crackers
• Price: from $15

Conceptually, this is ingenious and adorable. But the fact that everything was cut for a cheese board rather than in salad-appropriate, bite-size pieces made it hard to enjoy and even harder to share. That said, every component was tasty, especially the candied nuts and the freshly fried crackers (which tasted like wonton strips). I felt the greens got a bit lost under the hefty toppings, and more mustard in the dressing could have amped up the entire dish with punchy acidity. But it was certainly Insta-worthy.

• What It Is: creamy burrata atop greens with heirloom tomatoes, garlic croutons, cucumbers, chickpeas and basil in lemon-herb vinaigrette
• Price: from $14.50

Get your hands on this limited-time California Pizza Kitchen salad while you still can. Every ingredient felt fresh, light and clean. As a tomato skeptic, I thoroughly enjoyed the firm-yet-juicy tomatoes. Everything was evenly doused in black pepper and dried oregano, and the produce was evenly cut for easy noshing. The burrata was creamy, mild and simple, while the croutons were fresh, crunchy and borderline sweet with an olive oil-y essence. (I wouldn’t have minded more of them though.) I will say this salad would have been more substantial topped with protein—or if the chickpeas hadn’t been missing.

• What It Is: crispy dumplings atop Napa cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, scallions and cilantro,tossed in honey-miso dressing and finished with chili crisp
• Price: from $15

This salad was literally flawless. So many textures! So many flavor sensations! Every produce component was impeccably crunchy and cut into the ideal shape and size to build the perfect, balanced bite in every forkful. But damn, those dumplings. They maintained their drool-worthy crunch even after sitting atop the sweet, umami-rich dressing. I loved the subtle heat of the chili crisp that offered surprise pops of spice, since it wasn’t excessively drizzled over the entire salad. The dressing was also delightfully nutty and sweet. Would absolutely order again.