Cookoo Rico replaces Zorn's in Bellmore
Portuguese charcoal chicken at Cookoo Rico, a new eatery in Bellmore. Credit: Newsday/Scott Vogel
Cookoo what?
For a quarter-century, Zorn’s, with its blue-and-white awning and fried chicken, was a Bellmore staple. And then, seemingly overnight, red and black were the colors, a sign announced “Portuguese charcoal chicken” and Zorn’s was gone. But was it? There were new owners and a new name — Cookoo Rico — but fried chicken and a bevy of sides were still on the menu, albeit in a supporting role.
On New Year’s Eve, just weeks after the reboot, a steady stream of Bellmoreans lined up for Cookoo, many of them excited to sample the eatery’s juicy, well-charred chicken parts.
Prices were modest for the half-wings ($5 for 6, $8 for 10, $15 for 20) and other a la carte chicken offerings (e.g., $17 for 8 pieces of dark meat, $23 for white, a whole chicken for $20), a nice surprise in these inflationary times. Meanwhile, a refrigerator case carefully stocked with sauces of various flavors and hues — from garlic Parmesan to piri piri, 14 in all — stood ready to provide condiment support. And for any who thought that grilled chicken was a bridge too far, “southern fried” versions of the above were available at identical prices.
The menu’s look and prices were remarkably similar to those of Chimichurri Charcoal Chicken, a kosher eatery with locations in Cedarhurst, Oceanside and Carle Place, which made sense as the owners are the same, although Cookoo makes no claims to being a kosher establishment.
Otherwise, customers in search of meals ($10-17) could pick two from a selection of 22 hot and cold sides, everything from mashed sweet potatoes and goat cheese salad to mac ’n cheese and mangu. The usual bevy of wraps, soups, salads and quesadillas were proffered, as were a few rarer offerings, like embrulhos, or Portuguese burritos. The latter were large, a good value at $11 to $13, depending on the protein, and featured a satisfying mélange of Spanish rice, black beans, various cheeses, sour cream and a cilantro-lime sauce.
Thus were things completely new and utterly the same on Merrick Road.
Cookoo Rico is at 2495 Merrick Rd. in Bellmore, 516-360-3060, cookoorico.com. Opening hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.
