The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)

How California Pizza Kitchen entered burger world

- By Fielding Buck f buck@scng.com

California Pizza Kitchen likes to focus on what it does best, according to Paul Pszybylski, senior director of culinary developmen­t.

So CPK took a long time to add a burger to its menu.

That event happened Oct. 4 with the debut of the West Coast Burger. It has now been on the menu for less than a month in the

Playa Vista-based chain’s roughly 37-year history.

“I’ve been with the company 13 years. I think we’ve been talking hamburger for at least 10 years of that,” said Pszybylski. “Originally, it was kind of a joke, but it got to the point where we felt we were in a good position to execute.”

He was speaking on a joint phone interview with Scott Hargrove, chief marketing officer, who said that getting past the coronaviru­s pandemic gave CPK a window of opportunit­y to innovate.

The chain got its start in Beverly Hills in 1985 and became known for its barbecued chicken pizza. That item remains the best seller, although the chain has also had success with its salads, two-in-a-bowl soups and small plates.

“We’re always going to be focused first on pizza, and I don’t want that to get lost,” said Hargrove. “The burger was just a big, clear opportunit­y to bring a little more CPK magic to the traditiona­l categories.”

“Being a bunch of chefs that primarily work on pizzas, we wanted to make sure that our hamburger stood out,” said Pszybylski.

The challenge began with the meat, which is a blend of wagyu beef, chuck and brisket with a large grind.

The chain bought flattop griddles for its kitchens to cook the patty at a high temperatur­e and get what Pszybylski called an excellent sear.

The patty is topped with American cheese, apple wood-smoked bacon, caramelize­d onions, tomato, pickles, lettuce and a housemade sauce. The cost is $17.99.

Instead of fries, it’s served with fingerling potatoes that are cut in half and oven-roasted, then smashed to a quarter inch and quickly fried.

“It sounds pretty simple, but the process is elaborate,” Pszybylski said.

With the burger launched, his team is moving on to other projects.

“We’re constantly innovating. We can’t help ourselves,” he said. “If there’s something out there we want to eat, we want to incorporat­e it into our menu.”

INFORMATIO­N >>

cpk.com

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