“I’m so happy here,” said an oafish teen as he sunk his choppers into the famous poultry sandwich that drew 120 overnight campers to the parking lot of Chick-fil-A the evening before it opened on Sports Arena Boulevard last Thursday. The first 100 customers through the door received entitlements to a free chicken sandwich every week for a year. According to a manager with a distinct Southern drawl, the restaurant “sold thousands” of the sandwiches in the first 48 hours. The new location is the second eatery to appear in San Diego, and it caused minor traffic jams during the first two days after it fired up the deep fryers. Having waded through the clamor, I have to admit that the breaded filet sandwich, which comes on a plain bun with pickles, wasn’t too shabby. But after wiggling through a squadron of baby strollers and dodging large pointy objects toted in by shoppers from Kobey’s Swap meet next door, I felt even happier knowing I have a life outside of mass consumerism.

For those who remember standing butt to hip with their fellow diners while waiting for a table at Bombay Exotic Cuisine of India, its new location directly across the street at 3960 Fifth Avenue brings a sigh of relief. The restaurant is now four times bigger, with more booths and tables, and includes a banquet room in the back for overflow. It also features richer décor, a water fountain near the entrance and a few new appetizers such as mango lamb sliders wrapped in naan and coconut shrimp with Indian batter. Even better, you can reserve tables for two. The owners have held onto their former location and plan to open a Mexican restaurant within the next few months. Whether or not they’ll revolutionize the burrito with curries and mint chutney remains to be seen.

After sampling more than 150 wines on a recent two-week trip to Italy, Jayson Knack of The Wine Lover in Hillcrest returns with 10 of his favorites for a tasting scheduled to take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the Wine Lover. “Having traveled through the regions of Tuscany and Chianti completely unlocked the magic of sangiovese and all the expressions it takes on in those areas,” Knack said. The tasting will be held on the property’s quaint patio. It will feature sparkling moscato d’asti, brunellos and vin santos dessert wine, to name a few. The cost is $20, which includes appetizers. For more information, call (619) 294-9200.

The headline in Australian translates to “food” and “cocktails,” both of which are on the horizon at Bondi restaurant, slated to open downtown in the next couple of months once the city completes its final approval for alcohol permits. The menu will feature authentic Australian cuisine (for both dinner and “brekie”), with certain produce shipped in from the Land Down Under. The single-level layout will give way to one of the largest outdoor seating areas in the Gaslamp, with an indoor-outdoor bar stocked with Australian beers that the proprietors say can’t be found anywhere in the U.S. Chef Chris Behre, originally from Australia, will head up the kitchen. He’ll be joined by an “imported staff” of Aussies working here on J-1 visas.

Leave it to the super rich to plunk down $1,000 for an ice cream sundae while the rest of us working stiffs have to resort to Dreyer’s. Made with five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla and covered in 23K edible gold leaf, the outrageously priced sundae is available at New York’s famed Serendipity restaurant in celebration of its 50th anniversary. It’s drizzled with the world’s most expensive chocolate, Amedei Porcelana, and covered with chunks of Chuao chocolate, which originates from cocoa beans harvested on Venezuela’s coast. The crowning touch is a 23K edible gold leaf and an 18K gold spoon for indulging. The restaurant has reportedly sold about one sundae a month in the past year.

It doesn’t matter if you’re dining in Hillcrest, La Jolla, Hong Kong or the Virgin Islands, you can peruse restaurants in major cities around the world and make easy reservations by visiting www.opentable.com. The Web site shows diners the top most requested eateries in hundreds of national and international locations and offers a “dining rewards” program that allows you to earn up to $100 off your next meal at any of the thousands of participating restaurants listed on the site.