Rooster's Wood Fired Kitchen (http://roosterskitchen.com/)
Charlotte, NC
Saturday, November 12, 2011
11:30am
We discovered Rooster's days after we moved to Charlotte. The food was great and who doesn't like rooster themed decor?! Being in the heart of South Park makes it the perfect lunch spot to mix with weekend erranding and that's just what we did. We got there as the doors opened so there was no wait at all.
The Order:
Appetizer: Onion soup
His: 1/2 Rotisserie chicken, sauce on the side
Hers: Shrimp and grits
Side: Fried corn
The soup was great. Rich, beefy stock and lot of onions cut into perfect slivers. The toast was a little weird, but it soaked up the broth nicely. I could have done with my very own bowl.
The roast chicken was exactly that, roasted chicken. It was tender and well-rotisseried, just not all that interesting. But, really, how interesting can you make roast chicken? The vinegar bbq sauce really helped, but I don't think we'll be ordering this one again. The fried corn wass beautiful. Sweet kernels quick fried in what has to be 100% butter. Its the only side you need. A little bit crispy, and little bit chewy, a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and maybe some secret spiciness hidden in there somewhere. All delicious.
Shrimp and grits: two things any non-southerner would never think to mix. Boy am I glad I moved to the south! I've decided that shrimp and grits is a great way to decide if you and a chef are good match. There are so many variations in this dish that allow the kitchen to get really creative (if they want). I think I'll get along swimmingly with Rooster's kitchen. The shrimp were GIAGANTIC and perfectly cooked. Grits were coarse ground and lumpy and I loved them. And the broth that brought them together was a lovely, rich, savory, tomatoey concoction. I will come back for this over and over. Best shrimp and grits I've ever had.
The sigmas:
Deliciousness: 0.5
Pretty good all around. Alone, the chicken would have been 0 and the Shrimp and Grits a 1.5
Price: -0.5
These guys aren't cheap. The ingredients are quality and that's what you're paying for when you come here. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not.
Value: 0
Again, the quality is in line with the price.
Service: 1
Our waiter was great. He joked around with us and laughed at our (lame) jokes. Service timing was excellent. Getting to a restaurant right when they open can sometimes be a little tricky, but there were no issues at all.
Menu Variety: 0.5
The menu is pretty small, but it seems to change frequently and uses seasonal ingredients. In this sense it really reminds us of the kinds of places that are starting to pop up in the RDU area.
Unique Experience: 0.5
They have a great niche: casual, quality, rooster-y charm.
Beer/Wine Selection: unknown
It seemed too early to start drinking. But, if the wall behind the bar is any indication, the wine list is long. Didn't see any beer taps.
Frequency of Return: 0
Probably. A little to pricey for us to come back a lot, but we'll be back. Especially if I want shrimp and grits.
Overall: 0.5
Quality, seasonal selections, excellent execution.
