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The Chicken Fried Blog

The Chicken Fried Blog
Writing about our guilty pleasures... From the West Coast, Pacific Northwest and East Coast!

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Articles

A Great Frozen Pizza! - Mail Order, CHICAGO
2007-12-21 21:10:00
Can a frozen pizza ever rival a freshly baked one from your local pizzeria? It can if it's one sent to you from Lou Malnati's in Chicago .I've been a fan of Lou Malnati's Pizza since Los Angeles lost it's last Pizzeria Uno Chain Restaurant about 5-7 years ago. After that horrible event, I vowed to find a place where I could have Deep Dish Pizza done the Chicago way with a ton of toppings and a crust that was flakey and delicious enough to eat on it's own. After searching desperately through the web, I located a Pizzeria Chain in Chicago called Lou Malnati's. Not only did they have their own dine-in restaurants since 1971, now up to 25 pizzerias, but they also shipped their famous pizzas.So I placed my order for 4 individual pizza pies. I can't remember the price back then, but nowadays it goes for $74.95 which includes shipping. The very next day I had my deep dish pizzas, and quickly baked one of them. It came out of the oven in absolute pizza perfection. The crust wa...
More About: Mail , Great , Order

Yama Sushi - Moorpark
2007-12-08 00:44:00
Now before you go and freak out, I did not eat sushi. They also have a teppan menu of which I took the steak and chicken lunch combo. At Bennihana, that would be known as Rocky's Choice. For lunch, it was ok. We had a large group of co-workers going out to lunch for two guys' last day (corporate downsizing is what they call it). The service was a little slow, but they weren't really prepared for a party of 35 people. That being said, the servers and chef, Fred, worked very hard to deliver a nice meal.The steak was cooked medium as requested...Fred used a little too much pepper for my liking, but I'm not going too complain. The chicken was nice and savory. I would have liked a little lemon to be spritzed on it, but it was still tasty.If you are in Moorpark (unless you live or work here, God knows why you'd be out here in Hell's Half Acre), it would be a nice place if you are in the mood for sushi or for teppan style food. Yama Sushi is located at:233 W Los Angeles AveMoo...

Mariela's Taco's- K-TOWN, CALIFORNIA
2007-12-06 22:46:00
No, I would never have gone into this place if a co-worker hadn't dragged me there for a 2 mile roundtrip walk from work. Mariel a's Taco's is one of many Taquerias that you see in every other Mini-Mall in the Downtown LA/Koreatown Area.So what makes this place so special? Well it's their Asada, namely their Burritos Carne Asada.Once inside you will find yourself in an eatery with gumball and sticker machines greeting you at the entrance and with aluminum lined walls. You will see a whole lot of religious bumper stickers affixed to the glass partition on the counter that lets you witness one of the many cooks prepare your tacos.As I placed my order after a good 10 minute wait in line, I watched as one of the servers took out a big slab of freshly grilled beef, cooked well done and with a nice char on the outside. She took a cleaver and started hacking it into little morsels 0f tasty goodness. I could not wait..After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, my number was cal...
More About: California , Town , Ariel

Words from Mon Grenier...- CALIFORNIA
2007-12-05 18:36:00
A few weeks back, I reminisced about a wonderful French Restaurant, Mon Grenier that Mrs. Chicken Fried and I used to visit. We were fortunate enough to dine there a couple times before they closed. Well a week ago I received an email from Chrissy who was the pastry chef at Mon Grenier as well as the daughter of Andre the owner of the restaurant.She has given me permission to report that they have not reopened anywhere yet. Andre is currently somewhat retired, and Chrissy continues to do some small caterings. Although Mon Grenier is closed, they do have fond memories of the place and appreciate their loyal customers. She closed the email by saying "Never say never.." So hopefully one day we can delight to their food once again..If you would like to write Chrissy about your experiences at Mon Grenier or drop her a line, you can write to her at:Mongrenier18040 (at) aol (dot) comorChrissyscatering (at) aol (dot) comLet them know that you heard about them on The Chicken Fried Blo...
More About: California , Words

Pizza Hut's Double Deep Pizza
2007-11-28 23:23:00
I tried it and it is GOD AWFUL!!! There's almost no cheese. The crust is crap. The toppings were cooked properly, but there was just too much. Stay away. Stick to the thin crust pizza and go light on the sauce.
More About: Pizza , Double , Deep , Pizza Hut

Disney Dining, Blue Bayou Restaurant- CALIFORNIA
2007-11-21 20:12:00
Well it was Baby Chicken Fried's first trip to Disney land, and no trip is complete without at least dining in the Blue Bayou Restaurant which is located inside and adjacent to the Pirates of The Carribean ride.The Blue Bayou is next to the Pirates Docking station where you board your boats. I used to tell guests from out of town that the diners that you would see in the restaurant were actually robots. At least one or two people believed me! The theme and environment of the restaurant is perpetually nighttime dining, as the pseudo-outdoor patio is darkened by the Pirate's ride and there are the ambient sounds of crickets and water flowing that further adds to this illusion. You can be eating lunch here and literally believe that you are dining at night. Candles and outdoor lighting, and robotic fireflies fool you into believing you are in a New Orleans courtyard sitting by a river. Being experienced Disneyland visitors we knew we had to make reservations at least 30 days in ...
More About: California , Dining

Fins Creekside Calabasas- CALIFORNIA
2007-11-18 19:18:00
We took out Chicken Fried Grandpa out for his Birthday last night to Fins Creek side Calabasas.Fins is a quaint seafood restaurant that is located in the old town section of Calabasas. The restaurant gives you the impression of being in a cabin, or a house. It is very charming and elegant, but not in with a froo froo kind of elegance, but very understated, and very comfortable.The walls are predominantly deep red with cream colors. Hand painted sconces line the dining room, and the entire room is surrounded by French doors which gives an open and airy experience. In the corner is a stone hearth, further contributing the homey and warm atmosphere. Outside is a patio that is surrounded by lush greenery and overlooking a creek.Each table in the dining room has on one side had a chaise lounge that seats 2, perhaps to inspire a mood for couples and on the other side were separate chairs.I told Mrs. Chicken Fried that I wish I took her here first, because it was a really romantic set...
More About: California , Calif

Leda's Bakeshop- CALIFORNIA
2007-11-16 20:48:00
Here's something a little different than a restaurant review, but related to food. Leda's Bakeshop specializes in creating mini-cupcakes. These little gourmet gems come in a variety of flavors that normally don't see on a cupcake. Some of these flavors include Chocolate Peanut Butter (Tastes just like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup!), or Carrot which has Mascarpone Buttercream and and an Orange Curd Filling. The two bite wonders (literally) are bursting with flavor, and are little works of art in my opinion. You sometimes don't want to bite into it because it looks so nice, but once you do, you won't hesitate to try the next flavor, and the next, and the next.. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LEDASBAKESHOP.COM) One of my favorites is Chocolate Chocolate White Chocolate and another is Velvet. Each cupcake has buttercream frosting and a dollop of filling. If you want they also have Vegan versions of their cupcakes. Leda's doesn't just make cupcakes, but it is what they are famous for....
More About: California , Calif , Kesh

Earth Wind and Flour
2007-11-11 00:31:00
One time, Micetas, Malpert, and I were driving around the San Fernando Valley on a Saturday night as we used to do and we didn't know where to go. For some reason, Malpert kept on screaming "EARTH WIND AND FLOUR" like the retarded kid in Cabin Fever screamed "PANCAKES PANCAKES PANCAKES!!!" It was quite odd, but we drove to the place where it used to be and it was no longer there...not wanting to drive over the hill, we wound up going to the Pizza Cookery instead.
More About: Earth , Wind , Flour

Sandwich Express, Banh Mi in the SFV- CALIFORNIA
2007-11-09 18:46:00
It is usually common knowledge that the you can find the best Banh Mi (or Vietnamese Sandwich es) in places like Garden Grove or the San Gabriel Valley. But how about in the San Fernando Valley?Well there is a place that the Mrs. and I like to go, and the quality and selection is very very good. It is called Sandwich Express and is located in Reseda.(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.com)Most of the Banh Mi I have tasted is usually from the SGV in little Mom and Pop shops that line up along Valley Blvd. I have developed a fondness for these sandwiches which are served on freshly baked French Bread with ingredients like grilled beef, peppers, and pickled carrots and onions.However, sometimes the quality can be inconsistent where you might get a sandwich where the meat is a little dry or where you don't get that much meat, or maybe the bread is tough.I'm glad to say that Sandwich Express on the more than handful of times I've been there has always made good sandwiches. The meat is jui...
More About: California , Calif

A Restaurant I Miss... Mon Grenier- ENCINO, CALIFORNIA
2007-11-09 18:22:00
There once was a nice small and intimate little French Restaurant in the San Fernando Valley that Mrs. Chicken Fried and I used to frequent. It was called Mon Grenier (The Little Attic).This was a restaurant that really made you feel at home. The maitre' d and owner would always greet us personally and explain everything that was on the menu. The menu itself was written on an apron which was placed ontop of a seamstresses dummy named Gigi and brought to your table. A little odd? Perhaps, but very charming. The owner would sit at our table and converse with us a little about the history of the food being served, and he always made sure we were happy with our meal.The steaks were outstanding and compared very favorably to any high end steak house. The appetizers and hors doerves were rich tasting and lavish. This was a dining experience that was so good, that you felt sad having to leave after your meal and dreamed of the next time you could dine there again, budget not with...
More About: California , Miss , Calif , Encino

A Message From the Editor
2007-11-07 20:04:00
Hello fearless readers. We the writers at The Chicken Fried Blog have set up an email address where you can send to us your suggestions and comments. Let us know what kinds of things you want us to write about, or if you know of any good restaurants we can try out.Our new email address is: info (AT) thechickenfriedblog (dot) comOr click on the button on the top left of the page to send us an email directly.Thanks for your continued readership.Sorry for the lack of updates on the site during the past week, we will be posting some new reviews at the beginning of next week.
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Mikado- PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
2007-10-31 20:35:00
They say that dining is not an event solely for nourishment, but also for entertainment. Perhaps you are entertained by the style, decor or ambiance of a restaurant, or perhaps you are entertained by the variety and creativity of the dishes. But sometimes the act of watching your food being prepared is a show in itself.The restaurant I'm reviewing is not going to win any awards for true gourmet dining, nor would most jaded diners consider it to be very entertaining, but when viewed through the eyes of someone who's never experienced Entertainment Dining, I found a lot that I could enjoy.The Mikado Restaurant is located in the Desert Springs Marriott located in Palm Desert a few miles east of Palm Springs. It is a Japanese Teppan Grill Restaurant, where the chef prepares the food in front of you on a grill. (a la Benihana's) We started our dining experience by taking one of the water taxi's from the interior of the hotel out towards the back of the hotel which is surrounded b...
More About: California , Calif

The Elephant Bar- SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA
2007-10-24 18:51:00
(PHOTO FROM ELEPHANTBAR.COM)Last weekend, Mrs. Chicken Fried wanted to take me to a restaurant that she frequents for lunch during the work week. She said, "Let's go to the Elephant Bar" Already I had some preconceived notions of this place. I expected typical sports bar food, not a lot of variety, and a dining experience that would not be very satisfying, however.....Upon arriving at The Elephant Bar in Santa Clar ita, it had the exterior had the typical sports bar type look to it, however inside I found that it was a safari themed restaurant that yes caters to the sports bar types, but also to families as well.To the right of the entrance is a very large concrete sculpture fountain of an elephant head. The restaurant is paneled in dark woods, and the floors are carpeted in a flat tiger print pattern. All around the restaurant were pictures and It was a very entertaining environment and something that kids and big kids (adults) would like.(PHOTO FROM ELEPHANTBAR.COM)The menu h...
More About: California , Calif

Amaranta Cocina Mexicana- CALIFORNIA
2007-10-17 23:19:00
Continuing with the series of upscale dining coming to malls, we have a review of Amar anta Cocina Mexicana. Last night after looking for a Halloween costume for Baby Chicken Fried, the Chicken Fried Family decided to check out a newcomer restaurant to the mall. We had seen Amaranta open up in the last few months, but had never tried it before.(Photo courtesy of Amaranta's Website)Upon entering the restaurant, one notices that the entrance is actually to the right of the open air (to the mall) dining area. Along with the other restaurants at the Westfield Topanga, you get the feeling of entering a fancy bar or club type atmosphere. The wall and furniture are with vibrant pink and burgundy colors, while the slightly darkened room makes for a very intimate dining experience. There are a lot of light colored woods used in the furnishing and walls of the dining area, and there are candles througout the restaurant. Along the tiled ceilings you will find globular chandeliers. There...
More About: California , Calif

Portero Canyon Buffet- CABAZON, CALIFORNIA
2007-10-16 19:28:00
You don't often see one of those All-You-Can Eat Buffet s on restaurant review sites, so I'm posting one that we dined at this weekend. Most of the best All-You-Can Eat Buffets are in Las Vegas, but this is one that is located right here in Calif ornia at the Morongo Casino Spa Resort. The one thing that really impressed me about this buffet is the selection. I'll post a short listing of some of my dining choices and my impressions on them..Chicken Alfredo with Lemon- Very good, fresh ingredients!Country Fried Steak- A little tough, maybe overcooked, but still good.Macaroni and Cheese- Definitely Velveeta, but with an extra tang, maybe some Cheddar in there.Prime Rib- Somewhat dry in the center, but flavorful and juicy by the crust. They had a number of toppings for this including horseradish, Sherry Au Jus, and other glazes.Fried Chicken- Juicy! Best I've had at a buffet!Rotisserie Chicken- Tasty! Good flavor, very moist! Again the best I've had at a buffet!Garlic Mas...

Kyoto Sushi- NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA
2007-10-15 19:29:00
Sometimes, you just want to go to a Sushi bar where you can sit down relax, and not be bothered by dressing up for the night. Years ago I used to go to some Sushi bars in the Gardena area. These Sushi bars were not the hip and happening places to be seen, no these were real hole in the wall places where you got some good sushi, good beer. There are still places like this, where you can sit and relax, and not be bothered by pretentious sushi patrons or staff.One of these places is called Kyoto Sushi and it is located in a strip mall in Northridge surrounded by grocery stores, an LA Fitness, yogurt shops, and sporting goods apparel stores. This is not the type of restaurant that you would find on the strip in Ventura Blvd. by Studio City, nor in Beverly Hills. This sushi bar has a very sports bar type feel, where most of the customers are either local college students, couples, or anybody just looking for some decent sushi.(Spider Roll)Last night, the Chicken Fried family after ...
More About: California , Calif

Weekend on Larchmont- CALIFORNIA
2007-10-15 18:51:00
Saturday was one of those lazy days where you just don't want to get out of bed. The Mrs. and I had to go to Flicka on Larchmont to pick up a birthday gift, so we decided to have breakfast at Cafe du Village. We'd had dinner there before and were quite please with our steaks and pomme frites. So, we thought it would be a good idea to try the breakfast there.I had the pancakes, bacon, and sour dough toast. The toast was your basic dry toast. I like that they serve it dry and allow you to add butter to it. Sometimes, I just don't want or need butter on my toast. The bacon was plentiful and quite crispy. I was very pleased with it. My only complaint was that they use a little too much powdered sugar for presentation. The flavor was great, but I was wearing a black sweatshirt and had to dust myself off after breakfast. All in all, it was quite a pleasant breakfast.The dining room is small, but the food is quite good and very reasonably priced. They have sidewalk seating ...
More About: California , Weekend , Calif , Mont

Croatian Pizza- CROATIA
2007-10-11 18:01:00
Every other night, while staying in the teeny-tiny little village of Potočnica, we would venture into the slightly larger town of Novalja for dinner. Every time we did so, we would go to our favorite restaurant there, called "Moby Dick."This is probably the most popular restaurant in the town, based on the fact that it always seems to be full at dinner time while there are plenty of other restaurants that have lots of open tables. There's a good reason why, too. The pizza.Moby Dick cooks pizza the way it was meant to be cooked -- in a wood-fired stone oven. The pizza crust is always crispy and their selection of cheeses and toppings is always fresh and delicious. I would swap back & forth between the "Pizza Novalja" and the "Pizza Slavonska." The "Novalja" is topped with a special cheese called "Paški Sir," which is a native cheese of the region and prosciutto. The "Slavonska" is topped with some spicy cured meats and is perfect for those moods when you want meat and you want...
More About: Croatia

Bacon Burrito Dog at Pink's- CALIFORNIA
2007-10-07 00:29:00
Today was one of those days that I thought would be perfect for Pink's. I had to go to Golden Apple to pick up a copy of Countdown 30 (since I purchased a second copy of 31 by mistake on Wednesday). I decided to have a late breakfast/early lunch at about 10:30.By the time I got home, my bacon burrito dog was still warm. I find that it is much easier to eat the burrito with a knife and fork; otherwise, it gets a little too messy. Today's bacon burrito dog was excellent. As usual, I ordered it without the onions and cheese. The flavors bring back memories of my first bacon burrito dog from long ago. The bacon was crisp. The chilli was divine and the hot dog skins crunch when you bite into them. I'm not a fan of Hoffy hot dogs that you buy in a grocery store, but the special Hoffy dogs at Pink's are a treasure to enjoy.If you live in Los Angeles and have never been to Pink's, shame on you. It is a classic institution that must be experience. If you are planning to visit...
More About: California , Bacon , Calif

Michael's- SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
2007-10-05 19:52:00
Finally I have gotten the opportunity to post a belated review on Michael's in Santa Monica . This restaurant has been open since 1979, by Michael McCarty who was classically trained in French cuisine. He originally combined this training with Calif ornia sensibilities and aesthetic to be a forerunner in California Cuisine.This restaurant was a surprise on many levels to me. First it was a surprise lunch for my birthday from Mrs. Chicken Fried and Baby Fried. Second upon entering this restaurant, you think to yourself, "Hmmm.. typical decor, maybe a bit 80's." But approaching the back of the restaurant you see that it opens up to a beautiful lush outdoor garden and you are surrounded by the tri-phonic sound of the waterfalls all expertly placed to create an escapist paradise for the diners.(Image courtesy of Michael's Website)We began our lunch with a starter of Sashimi of Yellowtail. One bite from this appetizer and the word "Awesome!" sprung to mind. It combined the salti...
More About: Santa Monica

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