BY JILL NAGY
Soon after they were married, Justin Bartlett
and his wife, Annamaria, lived in her native Romania.
“There seemed to be a chicken rotisserie
on every corner,” he recalled.
Now, largely at Annamaria’s suggestion, he is attempting
to reproduce that concept in Glens Falls.
Dizzy Chicken Wood Fired Rotisserie is
scheduled to open at 72 South St. by the end of
June. It will be primarily a take-out and delivery
restaurant with only a few tables.
The site of the new restaurant is the former
Casino Lounge. The building has been completely
gutted, according to Bartlett, and is getting a
complete renovation, inside and out. Once the
work is completed and the new equipment has
been installed, Bartlett will be ready to start hiring
and training his staff. He expects to have 15
employees, both full time and part time.
Bartlett said he will offer healthy (“not necessarily
low calorie”) food made from scratch, much
of it cooked in a wood-fired rotisserie oven.
As the name suggests, chicken will be the house
specialty, cooked over the wood fire “that provides
an extra layer of flavor,” he said.
Other entrees will include a roast pork, “like
pulled pork, but different;” ribs, chicken pot pie
and a smoked meatloaf, formed on a sheet pan
and roasted in the rotisserie oven.
For customers who prefer vegetarian fare, the
restaurant will serve salads, paninis, and a variety
of appetizers. Bread for the paninis will be made
in-house, Bartlett said, as will the mozzarella
cheese and the grilled vegetables. Vegetable side
dishes will include braised beans, roasted Brussels
sprouts, and Mediterranean couscous.
He said there will be no processed food.
Despite the upscale gourmet menu items,
Bartlett said, the restaurant’s price point will be
similar to standard delivery and take-out restaurants,
about $20 to feed a family of three.
No alcohol will be served but the restaurant
will offer some “real sugar” soft drinks and Pure
Leaf iced tea.
Online orders will go directly to the kitchen, in
an effort to eliminate errors and reduce delays. It
will also be possible to order by telephone or in
person. Food can be picked up at the restaurant
or delivered.
Bartlett is a graduate of the Culinary Institute
of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and has an MBA
degree from Union College in Schenectady. This
is his first venture as a restaurant owner but, he
said, he has been working for others for 18 years.
Dizzy Chicken will be open seven days a week,
from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The website is still
under construction. The telephone number is
321-6686.
Photo by Todd Bissonette Photography