We all love pizza and we're all familiar with popular options such as New York-style and Chicago deep-dish pies. But have you tried California-style pizza yet? If not, we're here to tell you all about it and even help you find some near you.

California pizza basically combines the best of both coasts. It has the NY-style thin crust put together with ingredients from California cuisine. Thus, it includes extravagant toppings such as goat cheese, truffles, prosciutto, pâté, mustard, artichoke, etc.

This results in a pie that is seriously delicious. Plus, it's a fresh detour from the usual pizza choices. So, if you'd like to expand your pizza horizons, grabbing a California-style slice is the place to start.

When Was California-Style Pizza Invented?

California-style pizza was first created in 1980. However, there are two parties associated with the invention of this pizza type.

On one hand, we have Ed LaDou who at the time was working at Spectrum Foods' Prego pizzeria in San Francisco. Also dubbed as the "Prince of Pizza," Ed had earned his pizza-making stripes working at a NY-style pizzeria in California.

Still, despite his experience in creating thin-crust pies, his Prego employers suggested that he try out different and new combinations. This included using toppings such as goat cheese and truffles.

The place had a wood-fired oven, and on one occasion Ed served a special combination to one of the guests. That guest happened to be Wolfgang Puck. This new pizza with mustard, red pepper, ricotta, and pâté left a great impression on him.

Hence, when Puck opened his restaurant Spago in West Hollywood, he hired Ed as the main chef. Under his supervision, Ed went on to invent over 250 pizza combinations.

In 1985, Ed helped two attorneys to open a restaurant called California Pizza Kitchen, or CPK. In fact, he designed their whole menu and gifted them many of his recipes. Thereby, he even created the first BBQ Pizza.

Since then, CPK has become a popular pizza chain that specializes in California-style pies.

Other than Ed LaDou, the other side involved in the invention of this pizza type was Alice Waters. She's the owner of the famous Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, which opened in 1971.

In just the first ten years, the restaurant managed to develop the Califonia cuisine style of cooking. This was also thanks to the head chef - Jeremiah Tower. With that under their belt, they also played a role in the invention of California pizza.

After visiting Italy, Alice drew some inspiration from there and introduced an open kitchen to her new cafe. However, while the pizzas were cooked traditionally, the ingredients used were more fancy. And so their pies would have toppings such as goat cheese and duck sausage.

The reception was overwhelmingly positive and everyone was interested in these pizzas.

How Many Calories in a California Pizza?

A single serving of Calofirnia-style pizza contains around 330 calories. This includes 35g of carbs, 14g of fat, and 15g of protein.

As for a whole pizza, the numbers jump to 991 calories. This makes for 105g of carbs, 42g of fat, and 45g of protein.

Where Can I Find California Pizza Near Me?

As mentioned earlier, we at Slice are here to help you find this type of pizza near you. The good news is, you don't need to be in California to get a taste.

On that note, for those of you in Philly, we suggest Dolce Carini Pizza. You can find them on Chestnut St. or order pickup or delivery via Slice.

And if you are in California, or more specifically San Francisco, then a great place we recommend is Twin Peaks Pizza & Pasta. Located on Church St., they're open 7 days a week or you can order takeout or delivery through the Slice app.