LaDou’s legacy goes well beyond his pizza prowess

Over the years, I had a number of opportunities to speak with the late Ed LaDou, credited by many as the father of the California-style pizza movement, about his life in the industry. As the original pizza maker at Wolfgang Puck’s celebrated Spago, LaDou created more than 250 pizzas whose avant-garde toppings helped make the restaurant a legend. After leaving Spago in 1985, he created California Pizza Kitchen’s first menu, including its famed Barbecue Chicken Pizza.