California Pizza Kitchen050

California Pizza Kitchen is an easy, comfortable place for a fairly quick, fairly inexpensive, and pretty good family meal. Children are handed boxes of crayons and menus with puzzles and games on them as they walk in the door.

The menu features a wide variety of pizzas and pastas, some under the influence of other ethnic cuisine: Hawaiian pizza, southwestern chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza, etc., and it's the same with the pastas. The traditional Italian choices are available as well, of course.

Dessert recommendations include a key lime pie, of which the restaurant is justifiably quite proud.

The children's meal is priced reasonably, and includes a choice of pasta (with or without sauce), macaroni and cheese, or pizza, plus a drink, bread, and, for 99 cents more, a hot-fudge sundae or a brownie with whipped cream on top.

The service is fast, friendly, and accomodating; booths are available at most locations, and plenty of boosters and high chairs stand at the ready.

CPK also offers birthday party packages that include restaurant tours, souvenir cups, and a chef's jacket for the birthday kid.