With the opening of the fifth California Pizza Kitchen in the metro area, operations director Pat Ellis is pretty confident that Atlanta gets it.

"People here really understand us," Ellis said. "Our store in Alpharetta has been there going on 14 years; Perimeter, 15 years. And we've been in Lenox [Square] more than 20 years. But in some new markets, people don't know what a California Pizza Kitchen is."

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The Sweet and Spicy Italian Sausage pizza, with roasted peppers and mild onions, is one of California Pizza Kitchen's large array of pies.
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If you're one of the uninitiated, here's what you need to know. CPK, as the insiders call it, is known as one of the first restaurants to put nontraditional ingredients on top of its pies. The barbecued chicken pizza is still one of the Los Angeles-based company's best sellers. They also toss on pineapple, mango Tandoori chicken, Jamaican jerk chicken, Japanese eggplant, shrimp scampi and grilled cilantro steak. They rotate the menu twice a year so you won't get too bored.

This new operation in east Cobb is part of the new shopping center aptly named Pine Straw Plaza, since most of the locals know it as the corner of Johnson Ferry and Roswell roads where, for years, you could load up the trunk with pine straw. Ellis expects this to be part of a new-store rollout that will include at least three more locations around town.

Beyond pizza

The name says "pizza" but there's much more on the menu.

"We also do pastas and salads," Ellis said. "We have craveable food — people really crave the barbecued chopped salad or the Thai crunch salad." The barbecued version is a mix of chopped lettuce, black beans, corn, cilantro and fried tortilla strips, topped with barbecued chicken; the Thai comes with crispy wontons and toasted sesame seeds. The entree-sized green dishes include a new miso salad of shredded cabbage, cucumbers and crunchy noodles.

Pasta options mix linguini, spaghetti, penne, fusilli and fettuccini and ravioli with toppings such as peanut and ginger, grilled sausages and peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli, garlic cream sauce and tequila-soaked chicken. Sauteed salmon, lightly breaded chicken Milanese, crab cakes and chicken Marsala are among the other entree options.

On the pie side, the bestseller remains the one covered with barbecued chicken, smoked Gouda and mozzarella. There's also a selection of thin-crust pies, including the margherita with Italian tomatoes and cheeses; the tricolore salad with red leaf lettuce, radicchio and a balsamic vinaigrette; and the Milan with sweet and spicy sausages, wild mushrooms and caramelized onions.

Lighten up with a bowl of chicken chowder, pea and barley soup or tortilla soup with an appetizer of shrimp rolls, hummus, ginger chicken dumplings or lettuce wraps.

From the bar

There are four beers on tap, including two local microbrews. More than 21 wines are available by the bottle and glass, with the top bottle price at $35. Along with classic cocktails, the bartenders also whip up an assortment of martinis and mojitos with raspberries, mangoes or passion fruit.

Just for kids

CPK is into kids, Ellis said. There's a $5.48 children's menu of pizzas, pastas, chicken and salads that comes with an eight-page coloring and activities book. Parents can sign up their tykes for the CPK club that will score them a free meal on their birthday. The restaurant also hosts kitchen tours for school groups where students get to make their own pizzas.

• Signature dish: barbecued chicken pizza
• Entree prices: $9.29-$16.49
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturday
• Reservations: call-ahead seating
• Credit cards: yes
• Web site: www.cpk.com