Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken

I made this recipe from Food Network's Ellie Krieger for my fried chicken loving friends and they gobbled it up despite the healthy spin on the comfort classic. Admittedly, I had my doubts, but after making it again with the same stellar results, I am a true fan. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 sleeve (about 20) whole-grain salted crackers, pulsed in food processor until fine (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 1/2 cups corn cereal flakes, pulsed in food processor to fine crumbs (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tbs sesame seeds
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup lowfat, plain yogurt
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 3 1/2 lbs chicken (I've used tenders and breasts - both were fantastic)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Combine crackers, corn cereal crumbs, sesame seeds, cayenne and garlic powder in a shallow bowl.
3. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, yogurt, mustard and salt. Add the chicken and coat thoroughly with yogurt mixture.
4. One at a time, dip chicken pieces in the cracker mixture, packing crumbs onto chicken. Arrange chicken on the baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil.
5. Bake for 45-50 min.

Epic Roasthouse

369 Embarcadero between Harrison and Folsom

(415) 369-9955
www.epicroasthousesf.com

When B told me that his new sales job was going so well that he'd take me anywhere I wanted for lunch, I jumped at the chance to try Epic Roasthouse. Ordinarily out of my budget, I thought lunch would be the best opportunity to try the joint, but lunch on B? Even better.

The patio at Epic is, well, epic. Being on the water on a gorgeous, sunny day can't be beat. The meal started with their fresh baked bread - Madeleine-shaped corn bread and a cheese popover. Good in theory, but they didn't taste all that fresh to me. B ordered the Soft Shell Crab "BLT" and A - not a sandwich at all, but essentially all the elements of one on separate areas of the plate. I am all for deconstruction for a purpose, but I don't love fried soft shell crab, and the sum of the individual parts was definitely not greater than the whole. I had the halibut special with ricotta gnocci, peas, and tomato cream. While the halibut was cooked perfectly, the portion was TINY, the peas were underdone and my plate arrived lukewarm making the gnocci a challenge to eat. The biggest atrocity was that the sides we ordered arrived after we were done with our entrees - and only after an inquiry into their status. The roasted broccolini had a little bit of heat and was singed just the way I like it. The Epic Mac and Cheese was missing the saltiness of a sharp cheese and bore an odd overbearing taste of Tabasco - something I wouldn't expect at a fancy restaurant. But at least our server apologized for the tardy sides and knocked them off the bill.

One caveat: the server did recommend we get something with meat since Epic is a roasthouse, but steak just felt a little too heavy for lunchtime. And for the price, shouldn't everything be perfect? Of the Mac and Cheese, B commented, "It's good, but it could be better." I think this reflection applies to my whole experience at Epic Roasthouse. For the (very steep) price, I'd go get better. Elsewhere.

The Verdict: Not Worth It

The Girl & The Fig (Sonoma)

110 W Spain St. between 1st and 2nd

(707) 938-3634
www.thegirlandthefig.com

Z was in Sonoma for a conference so I decided to tag along for a change of scenery. What that meant was dinner alone, but who cares as long as I'm eating? I'd been to the Fig Cafe before and loved it so decided to try the original.

I made a reservation for one and off I went for a seat at the bar. After wine tasting at the hotel, I was feeling a bit tipsy, so tumbled out of the shuttle ready to chow. I'd been told by the hotel concierge and the shuttle driver that the Lavender Mojitos at The Girl & The Fig were to die for, and when the girl next to me at the bar was drinking one, I took that to be a sign. The secret to the Lavender Mojito's success is the lavender-scented simple syrup - a sip is a luxurious reminder that you are indeed in wine country.

The bartender recommended the Chickpea Panisse Cake which I ordered with reservations - could a meatless entree really be the best thing on the menu? Turns out, the bartender didn't have to buy my dinner because the deconstructed Bloomsdale spinach, carmelized onions, feta, and toasted almonds sitting atop and around a flan-like, hummus-y, firm on the outside, foamy in the middle cake was a series of flavorful explosions in my mouth. My favorite was when I asked the bartender what the yellow sauce on my plate was, and he responded,"It's a chickpea sauce that's 90 percent cream. People come here for the calories."

The Verdict: So Mmmm Worth It

Tommaso's

1042 Kearny St. between Broadway and Montgomery
(415) 398-9696
www.tommasosnorthbeach.com

My visit last night to Tommaso's quickly established it as one of the few restaurants I will happily visit again in tourist trap North Beach. The boisterous, warm Italian hospitality you receive when you walk through the door, not to mention that they'll serve you wine as you wait, makes the no reservations policy not quite as painful.

B and I started by splitting a Caprese Salad as recommended by our server - a simple preparation of the traditional tomato, fresh mozarella, basil, and salt and pepper variety made delicious by the fresh high-quality ingredients. We then shared a large pizza - custom topped to our liking. I chose spinach and meatballs, B chose cheese topped with ricotta (she refuses to patronize a pizza place that doesn't serve ricotta as a topping.) Both were the best versions of thin-crust Italian pizza I have ever tasted. In fact, I'm enjoying a leftover lunch-time slice as we speak!

The Verdict: So Worth It

Laiola

2031 Chestnut St. between Fillmore and Mallorca

(415) 346-5641

www.laiola.com

I've been cooped up for a couple of weeks now so decided one of my first outings would be to check out the new Sex and the City movie followed by dinner with A. We chose Laiola (pronounced lie-oh-la) because it is within steps of the theater and we'd heard great things about it.

Laiola did not disappoint. A traditional Spanish-style tapas concept using organic, seasonal ingredients is tough to beat, especially when the execution is flawless and you are enjoying a rare sunny San Francisco evening on the patio. To complement our outdoor seating, A and I opted for sangria as our drink of choice and the pleasant surprise? Laiola offers three kinds (I had rose, A had red.)

We started with the Chickpea Croquetas with olivada aioli - perfectly textured "fries" with a crisp, light outside and a warm, gooey middle. The olive aioli was not the mayonaisy type but offered dead-on flavor to complement the croquetas. We also shared the Dine-About-Town special - Posey Farms Veal Meatballs with roasted cauliflower. These too were delicately seasoned, though I wish there was something more remarkable about the cauliflower and that they provided more of the tangy sauce to soak the meatballs up with. Lastly, we shared the Blossom Bluff Apricots a la Plancha - a simple but effective plate of fresh roasted apricots wrapped with good Spanish ham.

Our server was likeable, knowledgable and efficient, and they even offer blankets for those that get chilly on the patio! The only glitch was when a mysterious "cubierto" charge showed up on the bill - in other words, the San Franciso health tax. Being charged for this takes all the romance out of dining - shouldn't restaurants build this tax into their costs?

Verdict: Worth It

Naked Fish

2084 Chestnut Street between Mallorca & Steiner

(415) 771-1168
www.nakedfishsf.com

Z's friends were in town and he wanted to make sure that we took them somewhere with good food and a fun atmosphere. Problem was, it was Saturday night, we had five people, and we were without a reservation. After checking on wait times at virtually every spot in the Marina, we decided the least offensive wait was at Naked Fish.

An hour later, we were finally seated and proceeded to order as quickly as possible to alleviate our hunger. Naked Fish was full of hit or misses. Definitely skip the Mango Tango roll (more mayo than mango), the Soft Shell Crab appetizer (lukewarm and flavorless) and the Dynamite roll (too much scallion, too much spice). The Hot Mama Special - snow crab wrapped in salmon with sweet and spicy dressing, and the Red Caterpillar - a spicy tuna roll with fresh tuna on top, were the standouts.

In the end, the food was acceptable, as was the price, but there are so many other sushi places in SF that are more well-rounded and consistent.

Verdict: Not Worth It

House of Prime Rib

1906 Van Ness Ave between Jackson & Washington
(415) 885-4605
houseofprimerib.net

S came into town and with her came the requisite visit to the good ol' HOPR. I'd been to the HOPR a handful of times, but it had been awhile so I was really looking forward to stuffing my face with my favorite cut of beef - prime rib. Probably one of the best parts about this meal - the salad - did not disappoint. Hand tossed, and perfectly dressed (I am always the annoying one that asks for my salad first in order for it to be lightly tossed), our server delivered the lettuce, beets, egg, bitter arugula and thousand island concoction without error. Speaking of the server, we thoroughly enjoyed his old-school, wry sense of humor, though fair warning: he's not for the easily offended. My steak as always, was a perfect medium rare, though I have to say that the sides were not as great as I remember. The mashed potatoes were pretty standard and the creamed spinach is leaps and bounds better at Izzy's. The baked potato that B ordered was heaping with sour cream and chives looked so divine that I almost forgave her for ordering the fish special. And being the only one who indulged in the seconds that come with all prime rib cuts but one, I think I have had my first experience with "meat sweats" a term we coined for the excessive sweating I experienced once I hit the point of no return (1. Gross and 2. Who's surprised?)

Verdict: Worth it for the Meat