CPK executive chef dishes on his favorite pizza

California Pizza Kitchen’s executive chef Brian Sullivan demos a pizza at the chain's flagship Atlanta location in Lenox Mall. Photo: Ana Santos/AJC

California Pizza Kitchen’s executive chef Brian Sullivan demos a pizza at the chain's flagship Atlanta location in Lenox Mall. Photo: Ana Santos/AJC

It’s not easy being California Pizza Kitchen’s top chef.

Asking California Pizza Kitchen’s executive chef Brian Sullivan to pick his favorite pizza is like asking a father to pick his favorite child.

California Pizza Kitchen’s executive chef Brian Sullivan demos a pizza at the chain's flagship Atlanta location in Lenox Mall. Photo: Ana Santos/AJC

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The chef spoke with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the Lenox Mall location, which is reopening after nearly four months of renovations. With the reopening comes a new menu, overseen and approved by Sullivan himself.

Sullivan’s caved and dished on his all-time favorite: CPK’s spicy chipotle chicken pizza, a pizza he created himself about four years ago.

The old favorite features a chipotle adobo sauce, shaved poblanos, Monterey Jack with roasted corn, black bean salsa, cilantro and his favorite touch: a lime crema.

Sullivan worked with team of four culinary innovators in Redondo Beach, Calif, to bring a new menu of pizzas to the nation.

The restaurant in Lenox Mall in Buckhead is the first metro Atlanta location to debut the restaurant’s new look. The new menu will feature new pizza types, including gluten-free pizza.

Dunwoody and Atlantic Station locations will roll out the new CPK menu by the end of 2015 with the rest of the metro Atlanta locations following suit by March 2016.

Additionally, Atlantans can expect to see two new burgers: a wagu beef burger and raw ahi tuna burger. If all goes well, these burgers will be on CPK’s menu by Fall 2016.

Below, a CPK mixologist demno how to make one of the new cocktails, California Roots which features avocado.

For more Atlanta dining news see  the AJC Fall Dining Guide, Atlanta Around the Clock, here.

This is a guest post by AJC staffers Ana Santos and Erica A. Hernandez.