Between Stops

Fang & I went to out to Long Island yesterday for a quick overnight stay. We started noodling around the area, investigating real estate. Despite a mild traffic jam on the main artery of the North Fork due to the 100th anniversary parade for the Mattituck Fire Department, we made our way through several sleepy hamlets and a few intriguing open houses. We stayed in a quiet little motel in Jamesport that provided no wireless service--in fact, it appeared to be a completely dead cellular zone.

One of the highlights of this brief respite was dinner at the famous "Modern Snack Bar." This esteemed relic of the region has been in operation over 50 years and provides no-fuss fare. You may recognize the sign which was featured recently in a Honda commercial. The place was still buzzing over their brush with national fame. The waitresses were all of Amazonian proportions; tall and stocky girls, a few generations removed from German field toilers. The tables are Formica, the old bar is worn and bathed in flattering low light, the decoration are sea nets with plastic fish and paintings of seascapes.

Its worn ambiance is secondary. People (locals and tourists alike) come for the food. The plates are simple and decorated with a snippet of parsley. Seafood and traditional German dishes are the standouts. The menu is made up of such hearty fare as meatloaf, chicken pot pie, prime rib, roast turkey, duckling, pork shanks and the specialty, old fashioned sauerbraten. They have a nice selection of fish and they rightfully boast of their award winning soft shell crabs. Side dishes shine here as well. Focus on the peasant end of the food chain: red cabbage, finely minced cole slaw and mashed turnips.

If you think you couldn't eat another bite, you'll be persuaded to manage dessert. The Modern Snack Bar is also noted for their massive meringue pies which are freshly baked on the premises. Sweet and topped with five inches of frothy meringue, you'll reel from diabetic shock. In a good way.

We had the sauerbraten and flounder. It was flavorful, hearty food. When I photographed the plate of sauerbraten, the waitress (still beaming with pride over the Honda commercial notoriety) said, "Is this photograph for something important?"

Why yes, it is. In my little world, anyway.