Photo: New Year’s Eve 2013-14 at Knott’s Berry Farm

There is no mystery why we go on diets or resolve to do so at New Year’s. After you’ve ordered the Fried Chicken Dinner “to go” on New Year’s Eve at Knott’s Berry Farm, you have to wait about 45 minutes. Staring you in the face– carrot cake, German chocolate cake, pineapple cake, cream puffs, cookies, and delicious pumpkin mousse. OMG!

We drove round and around on New Year’s Eve, desperately trying to find a parking spot so we could order and take out Knott’s 9-piece fried chicken dinner. A Buena Park council member and former Deputy Sheriff ranks Knott’s Fried Chicken as his favorite meal. For $22.99 it came with 2 sides of mashed potatoes, 1 side of gravy, biscuits with boysenberry preserves and your choice of side such as beans, potato salad or coleslaw. The food is tasty, hearty and sticks to your bones, which explains why thousands of people pour through the Knott’s dining rooms and takeout cafe each day. Knott’s Berry Farm owner Walter Knott actually created a theme park just to entertain hungry visitors waiting to eat his wife’s world-famous chicken dinners.

While drooling over the smell of fried chicken we examined and bought desserts–quite a few–such as pumpkin pie, carrot cake and Snoopy cookies. When the last drop of eggnog runs dry and the sweets have been devoured, our pants will be tight and we’ll have to go on a diet. Was it worth it? Oh yeah!