The Origin Story Of Bbq Chicken Pizza

BBQ chicken pizza is a creation of the 1980s, invented by acclaimed pizza chef Ed LaDou for the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) restaurant chain. LaDou was previously a pizza chef for Wolfgang Puck at his Spago restaurant in Los Angeles, where he gained a reputation for his experimental pizza creations, including toppings such as smoked salmon, duck sausage, ricotta cheese, pate, mustard, and red peppers.

Ed LaDou, the inventor of BBQ chicken pizza

Edward M. LaDou, III, commonly known as Ed LaDou, was an American pizza chef who is credited with popularising gourmet California-style pizzas. LaDou was born on October 9, 1955, on McChord Air Force Base in Washington state. His father, Edward M. LaDou, was a United States Air Force pilot, and his mother was Patricia Gallinetti.

LaDou began working in restaurants while still in high school and was a chef at several restaurants in San Francisco by the mid-1970s. He gained a reputation as an experimental pizza maker, often clashing with restaurant owners over his unorthodox topping choices. It was at one such restaurant, Prego, that LaDou was discovered by Wolfgang Puck, who offered him a job as the first pizza chef at his soon-to-open Spago restaurant in Los Angeles.

At Spago, LaDou was given free rein to choose his own toppings and recipes, which included pizzas topped with duck sausage and smoked salmon. LaDou's pizzas were a huge success, and reservations at Spago became highly sought-after.

In 1985, LaDou was approached by Larry Flax, co-founder of the newly established California Pizza Kitchen. LaDou developed the restaurant chain's first menu, which included the now-iconic BBQ chicken pizza. The original recipe featured shredded chicken, homemade BBQ sauce, onions, cilantro, and fontina cheese.

LaDou left California Pizza Kitchen shortly after and, in 1987, opened his own restaurant, Caioti Cafe, in Laurel Canyon. He later opened a Caioti Pizza Cafe on the Sunset Strip, which eventually moved to its current location in Studio City, California. LaDou continued to experiment with unusual pizza toppings at his new restaurants, with creations such as the "Mexican cactus pizza", "smoked rabbit pizza", and "foie gras calzone".

LaDou passed away from cancer on December 27, 2007, at the age of 52, leaving behind his wife, Carrie, and their daughter, Cassidy Rose. His unique and innovative approach to pizza-making earned him a place in culinary history, and his BBQ chicken pizza remains a beloved and popular dish to this day.

California Pizza Kitchen

Ed LaDou, an American pizza chef, is credited with creating the first menu for California Pizza Kitchen. LaDou was an experimental pizza maker, known for introducing unusual ingredients into his recipes, such as duck breast, hoisin sauce, and barbecue chicken. LaDou was working as a chef at Prego, a San Francisco restaurant, when he was discovered by Wolfgang Puck, who immediately offered him a job at his soon-to-open Spago restaurant in Los Angeles.

At Spago, LaDou was given free rein to choose his own toppings and recipes, which included pizzas topped with duck sausage and smoked salmon. LaDou's pizzas became highly popular, and reservations at Spago became hard to come by. It was this success that led Larry Flax to approach LaDou about developing a menu for California Pizza Kitchen.

The original California Pizza Kitchen menu, created by LaDou, included the signature barbecue chicken pizza, alongside other unique combinations like Thai chicken and Jamaican jerk chicken pizzas. The original BBQ chicken pizza recipe featured shredded chicken, homemade BBQ sauce, onions, cilantro, and fontina cheese.

Wolfgang Puck and Ed LaDou's collaboration

Spago opened in January 1982 with LaDou as its first pizza chef. LaDou was given free rein by Puck to choose his own toppings and recipes. The original menu included pizzas topped with duck sausage or smoked salmon, and LaDou's creations proved extremely popular, making reservations at Spago hard to come by.

In 1985, LaDou was approached by Larry Flax, co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen, who asked him to develop the menu for the new restaurant chain. LaDou accepted, and one of the pizzas he created for the menu was BBQ chicken pizza, which became a signature dish for the chain.

LaDou left California Pizza Kitchen shortly after developing its menu and opened his own restaurant, Caioti Cafe, in Laurel Canyon. He later opened a Caioti Pizza Cafe on the Sunset Strip, which still operates today and serves some of his most famous pizzas, including the BBQ chicken pizza.

The original BBQ chicken pizza recipe

After his success with CPK, LaDou went on to open his own restaurant, Caioti Pizza Cafe, where he continued to experiment with pizza toppings. LaDou passed away in 2007, but his unique pizza creations live on at Caioti, where his wife and daughters continue to serve his famous BBQ chicken pizza, alongside other eccentric pizzas featuring toppings such as gorgonzola, porcini, ground American bison, scrambled eggs, and hash browns.

Caioti Pizza Cafe, Ed LaDou's restaurant

Caioti Pizza Cafe was opened by Ed LaDou in 1987, after he left California Pizza Kitchen. Caioti Pizza Cafe is located in Studio City, California, and is known for its garlic knots, smoked salmon pizza, barbecue chicken pizza, "Cajun pizza", and "Rockefeller Pizza". LaDou was known for his experimental pizza creations, often using unorthodox ingredients, such as duck breast, hoisin sauce, and barbecue chicken.

LaDou's pizzas were so popular that reservations at Spago became highly sought-after and difficult to obtain. LaDou's reputation as an experimental pizza maker preceded him, and he was approached by California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Larry Flax to develop the chain's first menu. LaDou's unique combinations and toppings, such as smoked salmon, duck sausage, ricotta cheese, pate, mustard, and red peppers, were a significant draw for customers.

After his success with California Pizza Kitchen, LaDou opened his own restaurant, Caioti Cafe, in Laurel Canyon. He later opened Caioti Pizza Cafe on the Sunset Strip with Carol Saiz before relocating to its current location in Studio City. LaDou's creativity in pizza-making continued at his own restaurant, where he invented pizzas such as the "Mexican cactus pizza", "smoked rabbit pizza", and "foie gras calzone".

LaDou's legacy in the pizza industry is undeniable, and his unique creations, including the famous barbecue chicken pizza, continue to be served at Caioti Pizza Cafe by his wife and daughters, even after his passing in 2007.

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