For decades, the Chicken Dinner Restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm, an amusement park in Buena Park, Calif. has been serving fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits with boysenberry jam. My mother worked there as a waitress in 1942, and her boss was the wife of the Farm’s owner, Walter Knott. At the time, it was still a berry farm.
In the 1950’s, some of theeir chickens came from my uncle’s ranch, which was, as my mother described it at the time, “way out in the country.” Disneyland now sits on the site.
Knott was a big supporter of conservative causes. His family sold the Farm about 20 years ago, but their chicken is still good, and you can now take it home through their KFC-style takeout service.
I remember Knott’s Berry Farm in the late 60’s. That was probably my last visit there. I’m guessing ‘67 or ‘68. I don’t remember if we had fried chicken or not. That’s a long time ago, and my father ordered food for the whole family. [We always ate what was set in front of us, no arguing or complaining allowed (at least, not if you had any brains in your head!).]
If you are ever near Indianapolis, Indiana, please look us up. I’m happy to treat you to Aunt Bee’s Fried Chicken at our local restaurant, Mayberry Cafe. I am not kidding you, it’s the BEST fried chicken anywhere in the USA. I know that’s a bold statement, but I have yet to hear anyone, including many family skeptics, deny the truth of my assertion after partaking the fried chicken there.