In his humble opinion, Kenneth “KC” Ward says, there’s no better way to enjoy chicken than one that’s been cooked on a rotisserie.
“It’s self-basting. It’s so good,” says the chef and co-owner of Newington’s new Rooster Company, where rotisserie birds are central to the menu. “There’s just something unique and satisfying and comforting. It’s simple elegance.”
Ward and his wife, Jaime, opened the Newington Center restaurant in the former Black Rose Tavern space on Main Street, debuting during a snowy week in early February. The eatery’s focus on comfort fare is a shift for the longtime chef who spent many years at Billy Grant’s Restaurant Bricco in West Hartford, but it’s the type of cooking he’s happy to do after a career in fine dining.
“That’s what brought us to this — we feel — unique restaurant design. We wanted an everyday atmosphere, an everyday menu,” he says. “In approaching simple food and doing it in an excellent way, that’s what I feel we’ve achieved with the rotisserie chicken…I get so much more satisfaction from that approach to the kitchen than when I was younger, just wanting to work with caviar and fancy things.”
The chicken, sourced from FreeBird in Pennsylvania, is organic, pasture-raised and antibiotic-free, the Wards say. Chickens, about three pounds apiece, are brined for 8 hours, then spit-roasted for approximately an hour. They’re available whole for $18.95, in a half-portion for $9.95 or as part of a comprehensive chef’s plate ($17.95) with half a bird, a serving of country pate, leg confit and a sprinkling of crunchy cracklings, or fried chicken skins. Sauces on the side include choice of a fire-lemon glaze, garden herbs in walnut oil, tandoori-style, cola BBQ and a house hot sauce.
Other chicken-centric entrees include leg confit ($16.95); chicken cordon bleu mac and cheese ($16.95) and a curried chicken pot pie ($15.95) with coconut milk, root veggies and ground pistachios. Chicken also appears on sandwiches ($12.95-$13.95), like a “rodeo” version with cola BBQ, cheddar and bacon, and a Waldorf on challah with pear, walnut and Bibb lettuce. Burgers, including beef versions and a vegetarian falafel, are available during lunch hours.
Though poultry dominates the menu, main plates ($20.95 to $27.95) also feature a maple mustard glazed organic salmon, an Allen Brothers strip steak with fried local egg and a wild shrimp risotto. Crispy Rhode Island calamari and South Philly cheese “sangwiches” are top-selling bar snacks, and guests clamor for a recurring special of bucatini with Broad Brook Beef meatballs, served with Ward’s version of a Little Italy sugo and ricotta salata. Ward makes a concerted effort to collaborate with local farms for fresh produce; the menu lists partners like Young Farm in East Granby, Anderson Farm in Wethersfield and Newington’s own Eddy Farm, less than a mile away.
Sunday brunch, served from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., features decadent fried buttermilk chicken and waffles ($11.95); lobster eggs Benedict ($14.95): and French toast stuffed with cream cheese and blueberry compote ($8.95).
The bar program, with a mix of classic and innovative cocktails, is growing steadily thanks to an increasingly popular weekday happy hour. Bar manager James Maleck keeps at least one-third of the dozen drafts local, and divides the drinks into “vintage,” “signature” and “visionary” categories.
KC Ward wants Rooster Company to be a restaurant with food priced reasonably enough “to make it not just a special-occasion place,” he said. “I want it to be a place you can come for lunch, happy hour, dinner with your family…have you here a couple times a week.”
The introduction of Rooster Company is the culmination of KC Ward’s longtime dream to open his own restaurant, one he shared with Jaime when they first met in the Bricco kitchen in 2001. “From day one of us meeting…she knew this was going to be my long-term goal,” he said.
The couple looked at other potential sites in West Hartford and Farmington, but the Newington space ended up being ideal.
“Certainly, to find a streetfront pre-existing restaurant in a suburban town center area, it’s unique,” KC said. With 175 seats, “it ended up being a little bigger than we envisioned,” Jaime said. “But with bigger risk, there’s bigger reward.”
“I love the area. I think that Newington Center is poised for an upswing in traffic,” KC said. “There’s a great little walking community here, houses nearby, tons of free parking in the back.” The Wards enjoy a good working relationship with neighbors GoldBurgers, whom KC calls “amazing” and “passionate.” “They’re totally in it for all the reasons I am.”
After thriving in its first two months despite the difficult winter, Rooster’s owners are looking forward to opening the back patio and welcoming new diners. But they’re thrilled with the response they’ve seen so far.
“Seeing all the repeat customers has been a testament to the quality we have been putting out,” KC said. “It’s crazy. We have some very kind, loyal people. We’re very appreciative of it.”
>>Rooster Company, 1076 Main St., Newington, is open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with brunch served until 2 p.m. 860-757-3969, roostercompany.net.
