They've changed the recipe. I've been eating the Tostada Pizza, no chicken extra salsa, at California Pizza Kitchen for over fifteen years. Having lived in CA for so many years, I ate there regularly for years, sometimes up to once a week with one of my jobs. After I moved to TN, I went through a very long dry spell. There was one about 4 hours away, and I did road trip to it 3 or 4 times. However I was absolutely thrilled when they brought one to Nashville. I was way more excited about it than any of the other big chains that came in, such as Cheesecake Factory.
We went Saturday night for dinner, sort of a combined date night/running errands on that side of town -- and when I say that side of town, it is at least an hour away but that is also the closest Trader Joe's and we needed to visit them as well. We tried one of their new "small cravings" appetizers, the Mediterrean Plate. It was very good and just a few bites worth which is a good size. Then we ordered the tostada pizza to share. When it came, the server informed us she had to charge us $1 for the extra salsa . . . was that okay? What would she have done if we'd said no? Anyway, we said fine, however I was surprised as they've never charged for it before. Then I took a look at the salsa. It was not the same salsa. Always in the past it has been a pico de gallo. Now it was a dark red. I asked her why it was different and they've "changed the recipe." It is now a roasted tomato salsa and it was changed about a month ago. It was very good salsa, but it wasn't quite right in my taste buds for this pizza. I'm used to a fresh tasting crunch of pico de gallo. This was a more liquidy and deeper flavor. It made the pizza much runnier and harder to eat.
Anyway, I still love my CPK and will continue to eat there as often as is reasonable. However, this will probably force me to expand my choices and try more of their entrees. Luckily, I have the original recipe from their first cookbook and when I have a true craving, we'll make it at home!
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