While you're waiting for cicada season to begin so you can finally crunch some of those crazy critters, here's an alternative to tide you over: soft-shell crabs. The season's underway, and will probably reach its apex in June on the East Coast (click here for the soft-shell basics, including how to tell a hotel from a prime). Whether you like 'em battered and fried or simply sauteed, here are some spots to get 'em.

Nacional 27
Masa-crusted soft-shell crab with a watermelon and jicama salad, served with chipotle-tartar salsa. ($10.95)

Atwood Cafe / South Water Kitchen
Tempura-battered soft-shell crabs with arugula, roasted corn, tomatoes and warm pancetta vinaigrette. ($24)

HB: Home Bistro
Crisp-fried soft-shell crabs served over a salad of frisee, proscuitto, and roasted asparagus, topped with a dill-tartar sauce ($28). Also: Every Thursday is Blue Crab Feast get 10 crabs per person as well as an iceberg lettuce wedge with green goddess dressing and marinated cherry tomatoes, roasted potatoes and corn on the cob.  ($37.50 per person/two-person min.)

Shaw's Crab House
Sauteed North Carolina soft-shell crabs served with rice, lemon, garlic and amandine sauce. (2 for $32.95/3 for 48.98)

SHELL OF A  DEAL>>>: Half Shell Restaurant
Four lightly-tempura battered hotel-sized crabs, served with lettuce tomato, pickle and French fries ($24) -- plus a sucker for dessert.

The Fish Guy
Want to make 'em yourself? Stop by Bill Dugan's (a.k.a The Fish Guy) Elson Avenue shop. Bill says he likes 'em lightly dusted with flour, seasoned, then sauteed with grape-seed oil on one side, and butter on the other. ($5 hotel / $6 prime). Too much work? If you ask real nice, maybe Bill will make a po'boy for you at the shop.

How do you like your soft-shell crabs? Pan-fried or battered and deep-fried?

Dressed in an all-white suit, Francis Ford Coppola, the famous California winemaker who we've heard has directed a film or two, brought a multimedia dog-and-pony show The Harold Washington Library last night to tout his portfolio of businesses, which range from pasta to wine to resorts.

The entertaining 60-minute interactive presentation ended with the unveiling (and uncorking!) of new Rosso & Bianco, wine from his new Sonoma vineyard.

I think Coppola's true objective, however, was to answer the one question that irritates him the most: "Why not just stick to movies?" By weaving stories of his family (his mother was the daughter of a music publisher, his grandfather invented a prototype of movie sound) while talking about his products, the energetic Coppola explained how all his businesses spring organically from his life's passions.

"It just happens to me naturally as I [am] living my life," he said from the stage.

Well, despite all his accomplishments--Academy Awards, a successful wine and food business, a resort business, the award-winning literary mag All-Story, Coppola missed his true calling by about 100 years: "I always wanted to be in Vaudeville."

I could tell: Despite some not-so high-tech flourishes -- Coppola timed himself walking on and off screen in synch with the filmed images of himself -- this was an old-fashioned evening of light humor, storytelling and magic--and, yes, food.

Coppola's stage assistants passed large platters of antipasti to the audience, and a couple of pizzas made an appearance -- as did a big red sauce smear on his white lapel.

Don't feel bad, Francis: At a meet-and-greet wine tasting after the show, I think I left wearing more of the new Rosso than I actually drank.

P.S.: One exciting bit of news for fans of Sofia Mini, the portable single-serve bubbly. Coppola has a new product in the works: Rosso to Go--single serving cups of red wine; just peel back the foil lid and gulp. It's been a big hit with Giants fans at AT&T Park in San Fran; but no ETA on its Chicago debut. Hurry Francis, Ravinia season is about to start.