Rotisserie Banks Knows Their Meat

By Sophia Ricco

sricco@longislandergroup.com

Quick, healthy and customizable, Rotisserie Banks wants to be your new lunch time pick-me-up with savory sandwiches and stuffed salads.

The newly opened eatery specializes in high quality meats served in sandwiches and salads, quinoa and farro bowls, along with quinoa salad blends, a hot bar and pressed juices. It was recently opened by Brendan Banks, chef and partner owner of Burgerology, along with his partners and childhood friends, Anthony DiTore and Jonathan Viola.

Banks has brought his expertise from Rotisserie Georgette, a revered French restaurant in Manhattan, to the table.

“I’ve done rotisserie in the past and I noticed there’s not really a place to go for lunch around here, besides sit-down restaurants,” Banks said.

It’s easy to grab food and go at Rotisserie Banks, who will craft your meal right in front of you. Although nothing is pre-packaged, Banks wants the process to be quick for those with limited time for lunch. They offer a variety of topping options to dress up a dish, including peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, hard-boiled egg, shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese, crumbly feta and blue cheese, carrots, apples, avocado, bacon, kidney beans and chickpeas.

But the crown jewel is without a doubt, the rotisserie. Banks feels the quality of their meats is what will make them stand out.

“The meats we’re using are prime and the chicken is antibiotic free and all natural,” Banks said. “Instead of baking or barbecuing it, we throw it on the rotisserie. Rotisserie cooks great because it’s direct heat, the fats and oils drip down, you’re eating a lean, healthier meat.”

Starting with a base of a quinoa bowl and rotisserie chicken ($12), you can go wild with your flavors. Or substitute farro, an Italian whole grain. We tossed on shredded mozzarella, cherry peppers, chickpeas, and chipotle aioli dressing. With a heaping portion of quinoa, all the elements mixed together provided an appetizing hodgepodge, while the chicken shined through as succulent and tender. Banks sources his chicken from a Canadian farm that allows the animals to roam free.

“If I cut it up right now and pulled the breast off, it’s just the most juicy chicken,” Banks said.

If you’re looking for a fresh concoction, the restaurant makes daily blends, like the honey dijon chicken quinoa salad and turkey coleslaw. Their salad bowls are stuffed to the brim with hearty ingredients. A salad with grilled chicken ($12), shredded mozzarella, carrots, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg and chickpeas, topped with a balsamic vinaigrette is a healthy option that still satisfies.

“Everyone wants something different in their salad, so we let them dictate what they want… It’s fun and creative. Instead of just getting a Caesar salad, you get to have fun creating it,” Banks said.

The customization doesn’t stop there, any sandwich can be designed to your liking from the meat to the toppings to the dressing. Or give one of the signature sandwiches a taste. The barbecue turkey melt ($11) is rich and flavorful with juicy turkey and oozey cheddar cheese. Banks creates the “melt” by toasting the sandwich with a blowtorch, a unique method that gets the job done.

For Rotisserie Banks it’s all about the meat. Banks hopes to eventually be cooking a variety of meats in the rotisserie, like sausage, porchetta and pastrami. For now, it’s chicken, turkey and sliced roast beef. After tasting the roast beef melt ($11), it was evident why the rotisserie is superior. The sandwich, packed with meat, feels like comfort and warmth to the tastebuds.

“I want customers to taste it and say, ‘Why does this meat taste so good and different?’ It’s cause it’s high quality meat, on a rotisserie,” Banks said.

Rotisserie Banks welcomes all for their grand opening on Saturday, Jan. 26, all-day.

Rotisserie Banks
295 Main Street
Huntington Village
631-923-3650
instagram.com/rotisseriebanks

Cuisine: High-end deli
Atmosphere: Simple and fast-paced
Prices: Signature sandwiches: $11, salad and quinoa bowl: $8 + protein $4
Hours: Open every day, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.