Dining out
Snaps
By Ned Sweeney
There's a lot of fun with the name of Wantagh's newest restaurant, but the bottom line has a great deal to do with the owners catch phrase. Snaps, which is a long story about the owner's nickname, offers extraordinary cuisine in a casual atmosphere. I first met Scott Bradley several years ago in Glen Head where he was creating dishes at Mirepoix. Scott's resume is long and distinguished, including Passion Fish, La Coquille, Blake's Bistro, Enoteca and Tupelo Honey, to name a few of the restaurants on the North Shore where he honed his craft. In the city, Scott, who studied at Nassau Community College and NY Institute of Technology, also worked at some heavy hitters, including Oceana, Aureole, River Cafe, and Park Avenue Cafe. " I wanted to bring the cuisine of Manhattan and the North Shore to the South Shore without the pretense and the extraordinary prices." The former site of the redecorated Foccacia Grill opened up and he grabbed it for its location-en route to Jones Beach. He explains "My goal is to offer concert goers a great casual place to enjoy dinner before the show." Snaps has become much more than that due to its creativity in the kitchen as well as his promotions at the restaurant. There is no doubt the food is extraordinary as is evident from the high praise recieved from reviewers in metro papers; however, Scott has also added excitement. From the simple to the sublime, Scotts progressive American menu transforms the national expierience into a transcendental celebration of its many cultures. The Short Rib Quesadilla is a big hit among the appetizers as is the warm lobster knuckle sandwich and wok crisp duck salad. A sampling of the entrees includes the Steak Brasciole, rolled with herbs, charred tomato salsa, chimmichurri and garlic fries; five spiced monk fish, with citrus-cardamon reduction and vegatable fried rice; and ahi tuna, featuring a puttenesca sauce, basil gnocchi, and petite caesar salad. For Dessert, enjoy a great creme brule, Grandma Peggy's Madelines, or do-it-yourself s'mores.
|