DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Decent Chicken Parmigiana at DiCicco’s in Escondido.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill

Outstanding Chicken Scaloppine at Macaroni Girl in Esco! Bread service was terrible however. Unfortunately this location has permanently closed.

Phil’s BBQ

Outstanding Mesquite Grilled Chicken Dinner at Phil’s BBQ in Rancho Bernardo!

Popeye’s

I am incredibly excited that Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is finally open in Ramona! I have been a fan of this fried chicken chain for some time. It was fun to see the construction progress unfold over the last few months as a tired old Subway morphed into a beautiful new Popeyes on the west end of town. They had only been open about four days when I made my first visit. The restaurant was very well staffed; the energy and enthusiasm among the employees was infectious. Everything did seem to move along at a deliberate and thorough pace though. We dined in and it took about 20 minutes for the food to come out. Definitely better than waiting in the meandering drive-thru right now.

I finally took this opportunity to order their legendary chicken sandwich. Surprisingly, I had never had one until now. You can choose one of two styles; classic or spicy. I ordered the classic version. It was obvious that their chicken portions for these sandwiches is very inconsistent. Mine was rather petite unfortunately. There was a liberal amount of mayonnaise which I appreciated. Decent amount of pickles too that I could taste in every bite. The chicken itself was hot, moist and perfectly crispy. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it though, it seemed pretty bland overall. Like they were only using 2 or 3 herbs and spices when the industry standard is 11.

Cheesecake Factory

I’ve been really impressed lately by the composed pasta dishes at The Cheesecake Factory! I’ve recently had Chicken Bellagio and this Chicken Piccata pictured here. Both exceeded my culinary expectations! I also highly recommend the Cheeseburger Springrolls appetizer. Such a creative and delicious snack that I could order every visit. Service here is really nice too, especially at the bar.

Cheesecake Factory

Exquisite “Chicken Bellagio” at CKF in Esco! Crispy coated chicken breast cutlets over basil pasta and a Parmesan cream sauce; beautifully crowned with prosciutto and arugula.

Chicken Charlie’s Table

Tasty fish and shrimp basket at Chicken Charlie’s in Rancho Bernardo!

Embassy Suites

I am so happy that my beloved 1440 Bistro & Bar at Embassy Suites in El Segundo is back open! They were closed for so long during the protracted ‘rona shutdown. Visiting the hotel during this time was depressing. The menu now is quite truncated but I enjoyed an outstanding order of chicken wings and Caesar salad. And my favorite Mayberry IPA is still on tap.

San Sai Japanese Grill

I went out on a limb and tried this hole in the wall lunch spot on Sepulveda in El Segundo. Spicy Chicken Bowl was surprisingly tasty at San Sai Japanese Girl. Easy to eat in the car.

Panda Express

Tasty Black Pepper Chicken one-item bowl thing at Panda Express!