Chicken's Road, Bellmore: First Bites
This is the rotiserrie chicken with arepitas and plantains at Chicken's Road in Bellmore Credit: Newsday Photo/Joan Reminick
Chicken’s Road is the playful name of a new Bellmore eatery that puts a Venezuelan spin on chicken. It opened in the former digs of Gonzo's Mexican Grill.
Venezuela-born owner Wang Wong said that her father is a native of Hong Kong, her mother, of Venezuela. “Both had strong beliefs in cooking with flavor,” Wong said. In the tradition of Latin rotisserie chicken, Wong said, Venezuelan birds are marinated in lots of herbs, which penetrate the meat to the bone.
I stopped into the friendly counter service spot and tried a dark meat quarter chicken ($8.95). It had great flavor but had probably spent a bit too much time on the rotisserie, since it was a trifle dry. Accompanying arepitas — mini arepas, or corn cakes — were fluffy and savory; fried yellow plantains appealingly sweet. The hot sauce on the side was a real eye-opener. While I'm usually not a fan of grilled boneless breast, the “chicken Latin flavor” sandwich ($9.25) was a juicy, spicy hit made with lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy cheese and avocado.
Wong said that a specialty of the house is gallo rice, a stir-fry of rice, chicken and pork ($9.75).
Chicken’s Road is at 2975 Merrick Rd., Bellmore, 516-221-5222.
Above: This is the rotisserie chicken with arepitas and plantains at Chicken's Road in Bellmore.
