A Pedigreed Spot in Wantagh
By Joanne Starkey
The dishes that eminate from the kitchen at Snaps, a new restaurant in Wantagh, reflect a kaleidoscope of cuisines.The diversity on the menu is a result of Scott Bradley's expierences in a number of Long Island and Manhattan restaurants. Mr.Bradley, the chef and owner of Snaps, was executive chef at Passion Fish in Woodbury, Mirepoix in Glen Head and La Coquille in Manhassat. He also cooked at Blakes Bistro in Woodmere, Enoteca in Locust Valley, Tupelo Honey in Sea Cliff, Bruzells in Great Neck and Barney's in Locust Valley. The places in Manhattan where he sharpened his skills would be found on anyone's "A" list: Daniel, Oceana, Aureole, the River Cafe, One if by land, Two if by sea and the Park Avenue Cafe. The arresting menu at Snaps reads like a cover of a greatest hits album. An appetizer short rib-gorganzola quesadilla rubs shoulders with an Asian-inspired crisp duck salad. At entree time, diners find a Moroccan-style braised lamb shank listed alongside steak brasciole and a myriad of creative fish preparations. The backdrop for this culinary excitement is a casual strip shopping center storefront that was once home to Foccacia Grill. The dining room has a spare, almost Asian look, with its bare wood tables, black chairs and banquettes, red curtains and red-glass light fixtures. The yellow walls hold an eclectic display of art: a Matisse print here, a picture of an Old World waiter there.The tables are decked with woven placemats, paper napkins and votive candles. On my first, the kitchen was sabotaged bya wobbly dining-room staff. An antipasto trayof black olive tapenade, marinated artichoke hearts and a stack of crisp boards was immediately demolished by our hungry crew. A refill was not offered; we had to ask. Additionally, when main courses were delivered, we had no silverware. It had been taken away with the appetizer plates and not replaced. When we switched from white to red wine, fresh glasses never appeared.(we were there before the restaurant had a liquor license and had brought our own wine.) On a return visit, though,we drew a sharp waitress who got everything right and anticipated our needs. Even that night with superior service it wwas the food that stole the show. One or two dishes were not to our taste, but the rest did more than pass muster; they wowed us. High on the must-order list is the wok-crisped duck salad. It arrived in a chinese take-out carton and featured layers of warm crisp meat, soba noodles, crunchy salad and Thai vinaigrette. Chopsticks were presented at its side. We also loved a creamy lobster broth flavored with curry that delivered a pleasent kick. The short rib quesadilla was a crispy square with a sprightly watercress-apple salad on top. The green salad that impressed consisted of long, thin strips of cucumber formed into a nest to hold baby lettuces and herbs in a balsamic vinaigrette. The caesar, though, was standard issue. The appetizer that didn't thrill me was the lobster knuckle sandwich. That designation is often used to describe a lobster roll. The one at Snaps was not that. It was a square, two-crusted sandwich with lobster filling, all crowned with a runny, soft-cooked egg. Entree headliners were the fall-away-tender braised lamb shank with Moroccon spices; fork-tender steak brasciole escorted by a tomato salsa, chimichurri sauce and terrific garlic french fries; and pink and juicy slices of porcini-dusted pork served with truffled mac & cheese, which set a new standard for the dish. The crunchy, buttery crumbs sprinkled on top edged it into greatness. Fish preperations wer all creative; some worked, some didn't. One that sounded fussy but tasted great was the Chilean sea bass ina creamy foie gras corn emulsion with pan toasted gnocchi, crayfish and mushrooms. We also liked the monk fish wrapped in proscuiito and set upon a bed of stewed lentils in a citrus-green peppercorn sauce. Salmon, though, did not profit from its sweet espresso sauce. The dessert roster revealed no weak sisters and a few surprises. The creme brule, apple tart and the chocolate molten cake were often seen favorites done well. The surprises came with Grandma Peggy's madeleines: warm, lighter-than-air cookies served with bowls of orange marmalade and chocolate sauce that are sure to trigger sweet memories in the future, and offering a do-it-yourself s'mores, which rekindled those of campfires past. Snaps itself is a memory maker that will have diners coming back for more.
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