KFC is trying to think outside the bucket with grilled chicken. But can a fast-food giant with "Fried" in its name be taken seriously when it tries to expand from its core product?

The news that KFC has launched a grilled chicken menu item brought back memories of some of the company's other "healthy" forays over the years, such as Skin-Free, Rotisserie Gold, Tender Roast and Oven Roast.

In 1991, the corporation changed its signs and ads simply to KFC, as a move away from the "fried" image.

But for the most part, these attempts didn't really catch on.

I discussed this in 2002 with Jackie Trujillo, then-chairman of the board with Harman Management. Trujillo's career stretched all the way back to Pete Harman's first KFC franchise in Salt Lake City.

"We would love to have non-fried items on the menu, but the customers don't perceive us that way; they go somewhere else for those things," she told me. "We will continue to try things, but you have to sell enough to keep the product fresh and make money."

This time around, KFC's efforts include an advertising blitz and free food. April 27 is being called "UNFry Day," and stores will give a free piece of grilled chicken to anyone coming by the store that day.

I didn't want to wait that long, so last Thursday I headed to the KFC on 400 South and ordered a two-piece meal.

It was just a few minutes shy of noon, but I was told I'd have to wait another 18 minutes for the next batch of grilled chicken.

"So many people are ordering it that we've run out," the counter clerk said.

So I settled down in a booth and contemplated the calorie savings. KFC says each piece of its grilled chicken has 70-180 calories and four to nine grams of fat, compared with the original chicken, which is 110-370 calories and 7 to 21 grams of fat, depending on the piece. The grilled chicken also contains less than half the sodium of the original.

I got a two-piece meal of breast and wing, for a total of $5.38 with tax. That included a biscuit, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and a drink.

I'm not sure that "grill" is the right description, as this chicken doesn't seem to have spent any time over an open flame. The outside of the skin has grill marks, but it seems more oven-crisped than charred.

The chicken is all bone-in, and it was NOT dry or flavorless as I half-expected.

It was juicy and tender, not the spongy texture of pre-fab patties. There's a hint of smoky flavoring, but not so strong that it tastes fake.

While a lot of people turn up their nose at KFC, it's often been my family's go-to option for spur-of-the-moment picnics. And it offered us a little "taste of home" when we lived overseas.

I can remember picnicking on KFC in Singapore and Sydney; and in Saudi Arabia, we referred to it as "Kentucky Fried Feathers" because the employees hadn't perfected the chicken-plucking technique. This is the same restaurant that I was asked to leave, because women weren't allowed inside.

I don't think this new chicken will ever replace the classic KFC. But for future picnics, I can see me and many other consumers buying part-orders of both grilled and fried chicken, so there's a healthier option for those who want it.

Of course, by the time you pile on the mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, potato salad and a biscuit, that becomes a bit of a moot point.

E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com