California Pizza Kitchen’s Small Cravings $50 Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to commentors #159: Kathi & #372: Ken!

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When it comes to food, I like variety. If I have to eat an entire plate of the same thing I usually can’t finish it because I end up getting bored of the same taste over and over again. So when I found out about California Pizza Kitchen’s Small Cravings, I thought it was genius.

I received some “Pizza Dough” from CPK and decided to take my sister (who’s a huge CPK fan) out for lunch. We went to the Pearlridge location and arrived right when the doors were opened. We were greeted immediately, placed at a really nice table, and given an explanation of their new menu. They had no idea we were there to check things out.

CPK came up with this concept to allow patrons the opportunity to try out various tastes that their restaurant is known for. Each dish is reasonably priced at $4 – $7 each so that you’re able to get a few of your favorites without having to choose just one.

We decided to order:

• Sweet Corn Tamale Ravioli – Ravioli filled with poblano peppers and cheese, tossed in a roasted pepper cream sauce with fresh sweet corn and fresh cilantro.
• Crispy Artichoke Hearts – Artichoke hearts lightly fried with Japanese panko bread crumbs, then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Served with a homemade remoulade sauce.
• The Wedge Salad Crisp – Iceberg lettuce topped with blue cheese dressing, applewood smoked bacon, chopped egg and fresh diced Roma tomatoes.

The portion size of the Small Cravings is less than an appetizer plate so it really is made for just one person. However, if you order a few selections it can definitely make for a great meal. Out of our three orders our favorite was the Sweet Corn Tamale Ravioli. It’s not something I would have thought to order but I’m so glad we did. It had a sweet cream taste with just a little hint of pepper. It kind of reminded us of Corn Chowder – one of our favorite dishes.

The Crispy Artichoke Hearts were full of flavor with pieces that were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I’ve never actually had artichokes before but I loved this version. I liked how it was served in bite-sized pieces with a dipping sauce.

Lastly, the Wedge Salad was pretty much a basic salad with various toppings. The smoked bacon was very rich tasting and added flavor to the over-all dish. We decided to go with a side of Ceasars & Ranch dressing instead.

Overall, we really enjoyed CPK’s Small Cravings and think it’s a great idea. It’s something I would defnitely order again, maybe this time as a side dish to my favorite CPK meal – Portobella Mushroom Ravioli. Yum!

And on a side note, I have to say how impressed we were with the service we recieved. Our server, Gil, was very attentive and accomodating. For example, when we couldn’t decide on which salad dressing we wanted to substitute for the Blue Cheese, he was the one that suggested we try a couple of them and place them in side ramikins. He was also very knowledgeable on the various dishes and was able to answer all our questions. Gil definitely helped to make this one of the best dining experiences ever.

WIN IT!

How would you like to dine at California Pizza Kitchen and try their Small Cravings for yourself? I have (2) $50 “Pizza Dough” gift certificates to give away to (2) lucky people! To enter:

• Just stop by California Pizza Kitchen before midnight, March 8th and check out their small cravings menu.
• Then come back and mention which one you’d like to try. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified via email shortly thereafter.
• The winner will then have 2 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to An Island Life’s feed.
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• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to California Pizza Kitchen’s Small Cravings.

This giveaway is open to anyone lucky enough to have a CPK nearby! Good luck!

This post was written for California Pizza Kitchen who provided the gift certificates for the purpose of reviewing their menu and to give away. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product. By entering this giveaway, you are acknowledging that you have read, understood, and agree to our disclosure policy.