Wildacre Rotisserie Set To Open June 23 In Cos Cob

GREENWICH, CT — Bird is the word in Cos Cob.

Wildacre Rotisserie will officially open Thursday at 147 E Putnam Ave., the former site of Starbucks.

Inspired by California cuisine, the restaurant will bring a fresh take on traditional rotisserie with a carefully curated and flavorful menu that has something for everyone, according to owner Ben Pote.

The restaurant held a soft opening on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Pote said the reaction has been "overwhelmingly positive."

Pote has held leadership positions at a number of nationally-renowned food brands, including director of development at Souvla in San Francisco, director of culinary innovation at Starbucks and most recently director of culinary strategy and culinary program manager at sweetgreen.

This is his first-ever restaurant.

"I'm incredibly excited," Pote said Wednesday. "It's been a really long journey for me, from this seed of an idea, to what is now a physical space and making the food. It's just been really nice to start to connect with the community. Cos Cob and Greenwich as a community has been so welcoming, and makes this process so much more gratifying."

Pote developed the recipes on the menu in his kitchen for months.

Rotisserie-herbed chicken and slow-roasted cauliflower are menu staples. The chicken is rubbed with with bay leaf, oregano and fennel pollen to give it an herbaceous, savory flavor. The cauliflower is sprinkled with za'atar, a Middle Eastern herb blend.

The chicken is sourced from Cooks Venture, an Arkansas-based purveyor. Unlike chicken from major companies, Cooks Venture raises its own slow-growth, free-range heirloom chicken called the Pioneer. The birds are pasture-raised and fed a diet of non-GMO feed.

Entree-sized salads, such as the Medi (roasted cauliflower, sheep's milk feta, green olive tapenade, cherry tomatoes, shaved red onion, cucumber, creamy tahini dressing) or the Caesar (shredded chicken, grana padano, rotisserie croutons, fresh herbs, lemon caesar dressing), to name a couple, are hearty enough for lunch and dinner.

There are also plant-forward sides like roasted brussels sprouts, cucumber salad, potatoes, kale salad and even french fries.

Pote plans on featuring seasonal vegetables where it makes sense across the menu, using flavors from around the Mediterranean, Central America and Asia — all components of California cuisine.

Guests can order a la carte or select a bundled meal, which offers the choice of either a rotisserie chicken or slow-roasted cauliflower main plus two sides and two sauces. Sauces include: herby ranch, lemon tahini, creamy garlic, honey dijon, salsa verde and chili vinegar.

There will be the option for pickup and delivery, or dine-in.

Just like the menu, the 1,600 square feet of interior space was inspired by California. There will be 12 seats for dining-in, overlooking Mill Pond.

Wildacre Rotisserie will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more on Wildacre Rotisserie, visit their website or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

For more on how Pote started Wildacre Rotisserie, click here.