Spicy Chicken Restaurants

Just when you think fried chicken can't get any more irresistible, along come three spots making spicy versions that are as finger-lickin' good as any we've tried.

Cayenne At the roadside Fremont Diner outside Sonoma, Chad Harris' Nashville Hot chicken consists of three pieces of shockingly crisp Fulton Valley bird, bright red with cayenne. If the Scoville level doesn't induce the physical agony of the Nashville benchmark, that only makes it more wine-friendly for the diner's new liquor license. 2698 Fremont Dr., Sonoma; 707-938-7370 or facebook.com.pages/The-Fremont-Diner/101342817963?sk=wall

Sriracha Though Charles Phan grew up eating fried chicken in Vietnam, the version he serves at Out the Door employs a tempering technique from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook. The secret to the spice? The excellent Sriracha-spiked butter Phan serves on the side. 2232 Bush St. (at Fillmore St.); 415-923-9575 or outthedoors.com

Frank's RedHot and Gochujang At the new retail counter of Morimoto Napa, the Iron Chef sells his signature Angry Chicken in two forms: ready-to-cook (pre-marinated in its blend of yogurt and Frank's RedHot sauce) and freshly grilled (in the Angry Chicken banh mi with crunchy slaw, slathered with mayonnaise spiked with the Korean hot pepper paste gochujang). 610 Main St. (at Third St.), Napa; 707-252-1600 or morimotonapa.com