Dead Pines on the way to Montauk..... page 5
THE AMAGANSETT
STAR REVUE
FREE FOR ALL
NOVEMBER 2023 INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
They don't change the stuff that works
T
by George Fiala
wo issues ago I ended my turtle odyssey in Jamesport at the Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons. That's when I discovered Woodside Orchards, right across the street, which became the cover stories of last month's issue.
ground, and the food retains a German heritage, which is the kind of food I grew up with. My mom used to buy fresh flounder at a fish store near my Friday piano lessons, and what I ate that day was as good as how she cooked it.
There was one place I couldn't resist stopping at on each trip, intrigued at first by the wonderful sign out front, which I found out has been made a town landmark. And it turns out that the Modern Snack Bar not only has a great sign, but great food and also a great story!
My second time I ordered what I love to order at diners (I would call the Snack Bar somewhat of a mix of a diner and fine restaurant), a turkey dinner. I love to prepare Thanksgiving dinner, and I love having it served to me the rest of the year. I again chose the turnips and red cabbage. My waitress asked if I wanted both white and dark meat, and I said sure. What I ended up with was home cooked turkey with the dark meat tucked under the white, taking the place of what is normally cheaper bread stuffing, and unbelievably delicious.
I'm guessing many of you already know the joint, and others have read about it, as they get lots of publicity.I hadn't known of them, however, until I had the good fortune to drive on Main Road in Aquebogue which enticed me in. When I entered I spent more than a few moments looking at all the family photos on the walls, the bright 1950's style menu boards on the wall, and the various newspaper and magazine articles. A friendly face directed me to an empty table, and I ordered a flounder sandwich plate, picking red cabbage and mashed turnips as sides. I didn't realize it at the time, but the Wittmeiers, who have run the Modern Snack Bar since 1950, have a German back-
"We did actually put paninis on the menu for a while, but they weren't really popular so we dropped them." After I ordered I asked my waitress if I could ask her a few questions for this article. She left and a few moments later a gentleman came to the table and introduced himself as Otto, one of the two Wittmeier brothers who own and operate Modern Snack. He is the older brother–at 83 he still works every day. He told me that after school he worked for the Howard Johnson corporation for 22 years, learning all about the restaurant business, before taking over the family business. He noted that there used to be a number of brother-run restaurants around, now he and John are the only ones left. He said that a lot of restaurants come and go, many of them failing because they are absentee owned.
Otto Wittmeier who owns and operates Modern Snack with brother John. (photos by Fiala)
"I have to physically be here to make sure that every customer leaves happy, that all our meals are cooked correctly, and everything runs smoothly." Spoken by someone who takes
The pride of Aquebogue features a landmarked sign
pride in the family legacy and with what he does with his life. The menu hasn't changed much over the years, and I would say that is partly what keeps them popular, since some of the dishes, like the cabbage and turnips, are hard to find elsewhere, especially cooked correctly as they are here. He has resisted fads. "We did actually put paninis on the menu for a while, but they weren't really popular and we dropped them." When they can't get the right quality ingredients for an item, they stop making it–one example being sauerbraten. I will add here that newspapers are not the important media as we used to be, I guess we are not 'influencers,' so it was so nice to be treated with the old fashioned respect that Mr. Wittmeier gave to me. The food is reasonably priced and well worth it. The Key Lime Garlic Oysters are very popular when they are available, as is their soft shell crabs and Roast LI duck. My roast turkey was fabulous, and a bargain at $22.95. I think my next trip will be on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday when they serve roast pork loin complete with mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and applesauce. Modern Snack Bar sells lots of pies - all are made on premises and you can get a slice with coffee or whole some whole ones to take home. Very intriguing is their sea salt caramel cheesecake, although the one I bought was strawberry-rhubarb. Otto told me that they are closed for indoor dining on Thanksgiving week, sothey can handle all the takeout orders. "We have to put cones in the parking lot to control the lines." They are already taking advance orders for
the pies, which include apple, apple crumb, pecan and blueberry; sides including mashed turnips, stuffing, red cabbage and sliced white meat turkey. You can place your order in person or by phone at 631-722-4747. I asked whether most of the restaurant business is local, and Otto told me with scientific precision that they once analyzed the zip codes of the credit card owners and found that 80% were from out of the area. Meaning the place is worth driving to.
It's seasonal
By the way, Otto, who as I said was quite attentive to this newspaper, is very much the promoter, even at 83. Every Thursday, sometime around 9:30 in the morning, he appears on Gary Sapiane's program talking about food. They do close for the winter from the middle of December to the middle of May. The address is 628 Main Road (Route 25) in Aquebogue, phone number (631) 722-3655. And in a nod to post-modernity, their website is modernsnackbar.com