Stars: ****
Price: $$$$ (Eight course tasting- $50 pp)
Genre: New American
Try: Gnocchi, Tilapia, Hanger Steak, Ice Cream Sundae
Location: Wantagh Ave, Wantagh
I recently had the pleasure of having the eight course tasting menu at Snaps. The menu is the chef's choice... so you don't know what you will be getting. I really liked the surprise and spontaneity of this. What's the next course going to be?? Don't know, but I bet it will be delicious. The meal started with a creamy lobster bisque infused with truffle oil. It had rich lobster flavor, and I thought the portion was decent. Next was the tuna tartare with truffle potato chips. The raw tuna had some wasabi caviar on top. It tasted creamy, but not too fishy, which I really liked. The truffle chips were perfectly crisp and savory. The third course, butter poached potato gnocchi with creamy parmesan truffle sauce was a real standout. The gnocchi were dense and delicious smothered in the creamy, cheesy sauce. I thought it would feel a bit heavy for a third course, but it was perfect. Next came the pumpkinseed crusted tilapia with fettucinne and a butternut squash puree. I really enjoyed this dish. The pumpkinseed crust was light and crisp, and the tilapia was flaky and buttery in texture. I loved the al dente fettucinne pasta and the sweet butternut squash sauce provided a nice balance of flavor. I expected a chicken dish next, and I was right. It was a lovely chicken milanese with arugula, parmesan, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction. The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked. The goat cheese added a richness which was balanced out by the tartness of the balsamic reduction. I could have eaten a large order of this chicken milanese.
After the chicken came a beautifully presented lamb with olive, cucumber, feta, onion, and tomato relish and seasoned yogurt. This dish was clearly Mediterranean inspired. The flavors are not among my favorites... namely cucumbers, yogurt, and feta. However, everything worked together quite nicely. The lamb was juicy and had a well-seasoned crust. The only thing remaining on the plate was a few cucumbers. I couldn't bring myself to eat them. They're really just not my thing. I'm just sayin.' The last savory course was a grilled hanger steak with creamed spinach and horseradish sauce. This course had a fantastic richness and buttery quality. I loved the creamed spinach and the spicy horseradish with the tender steak. This course came with a generous portion of herb garlic fries which arrived very hot and nicely crisp. I love steak and fries in general, and this was definitely pleasing as a last course.
For the dessert course, the waitress brought us dessert menus. I was absolutely thrilled!
We got to choose the dessert! My mom chose the creme brulee, which was tasty, though nothing to write home about. I chose the ice cream sundae (which I have had before) made with the ice cream flavor of the night- Venezuelan Dark Chocolate. The sundae comes with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, toasted walnuts, and banana pudding. It was so rich and decadent. It's one of my favorite desserts around. It's fun and whimsical yet sophisticated with the rich dark chocolate ice cream.
Overall, the dining experience at Snaps was excellent. The pacing of the meal was perfect. I thought I might not be full, considering the small portions, but eight courses and a large dessert really adds up! I was stuffed at the end. The waitstaff was incredibly nice. We had four different people serving us throughout the courses. I plan on going back again in the spring once the menu changes. I look forward to having eight different, tasty dishes!
