California Pizza

Written By Judy Doherty

Ed LaDou and Wolfgang Puck (Los Angeles): The real popularizer was chef Ed LaDou. While working at a San Francisco restaurant called Prego, LaDou was known for his inventive pizza toppings. He was discovered by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck, who was so impressed by a pizza LaDou made—reportedly topped with mustard, ricotta, pâté, and red pepper—that he hired him as the first pizza chef for his soon-to-open, highly anticipated restaurant, Spago (1982).

In 1985, LaDou was approached by attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax to help launch a new casual dining concept: California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). For CPK, LaDou developed the opening menu, which included the now-ubiquitous Barbecue Chicken Pizza. This invention took the gourmet pizza concept to the mass market and solidified California-style pizza as a significant regional variation. In essence, the California pizza was born from pairing the thin crusts of New York and Italian pizza with the inventive, fresh, and often whimsical toppings of California Cuisine.

BBQ Chicken Pizza - from California Pizza Kitchen

Judy Doherty

I am a food, beverage, and CPG product photographer specializing in photos, stop motion, and video, with over 90,000 photos and motion graphics delivered. Clients hire me for my eye, creative direction, and passion for taking their idea to the next level.

My strength lies in a nimble and lean creative process. Clients love getting creative content at a reasonable cost since my studio can art direct, style, and shoot their images quickly and on budget. My studio features an extensive surface library and prop house with a fully equipped kitchen and two shooting studios.

My experience as a chef, stylist, and photographer has earned many awards, including APA Top 100, ACF Gold Medal, and a juried fine art photo exhibit at Art Basel Miami. I was Executive Pastry Chef for two Hyatt Hotels and Resorts before completing two post-baccalaureate certificates for Visual Art and Graphic Design at U.C. Berkeley Extension in San Francisco.

https://judydohertyphotography.com
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