~ Aqueboue, New York's Modern Snack Bar ~

BY DANNY McCARTHY
07.31.2017 The Suffolk Times had an article titled "At Modern Snack Bar, vintage sign a link to bygone era" by Krysten Massa. It did seem to merely arrive with information via a press release.
Otto Wittmeier owns the restaurant with his younger brother John.
There happens to be a definite link of a mixture of "red, yellow and blue." Those are the colors of the neon lights for the "iconic {vintage} sign in Aquebogue" of the Modern Snack Bar for over "the past six decades," making it "a North Fork landmark." The sign was first installed in 1956 -{&} has definitely become a bit of history-in-the-BAKING {so-to-have-been-text by me}. A Town Board resolution from 2007 called the sign “a piece of 1950s roadside architecture and a unique piece of Riverhead culture,” according News-Review archives "so it would be exempt from newly passed town code requirements on signage." That same year, the sign appeared in a Toyota TV commercial that aired in the fall to launch Toyota’s 2008 Highlander. As the story goes, crew members from the filming wanted to eat inside the restaurant rather than eat the catered food supplied for them. The sign came from the Niemeyer Sign Company of Patchogue. “It’s back in the ’50s so it has a ’50s flavor because that’s what
was happening at that time” “It’s not a reproduction; it’s the real deal.” The brothers had the sign serviced -{&}-it cost them around $5,000. "Reminiscing about the origins of their iconic sign brought up other fond memories. Otto recalled beginning to work at the restaurant when he was only 14 years old. He said he remembers working the grill with two cooks who retired after working there for 47 years. John recalled the brothers’ unique experience growing up in the apartment right above the restaurant."
"Walking through the doors of the Modern Snack Bar today is not much different than it was 10 years ago. Visiting it is like walking into a time capsule, John said. The brothers have worked hard to maintain the essence of the original restaurant their parents ran for so long. The brothers officially partnered in 1989 when their parents retired after running the business since the early ’50s." Otto -{&}- John Wittmeier "sat in the back corner of the restaurant at a table they call 'Wanda’s table' because it’s where their mother would sit to fold the napkins and prepare the silverware — even after she officially retired."
"The brothers also highlighted how the employees have remained with the business through the years. They said about 13 current employees have been there for over 10 years, and three have been with them for over two decades."
"When they open each year in April, they said, it’s like a big reunion. The same staff and customers always return. ... On any given August afternoon they can find a family with multiple generations sitting together at the same table they always have."
"Doug and Carol Winsko of Aquebogue sat the at the end of the counter Tuesday joking with the brothers. The couple said they eat at the Modern Snack Bar at least three times a week.'Good food, good service. What’s not to like?' {Doug} Winsko said. Their designated spot is at the far corner of the counter." "It’s customers like the Winskos who give the Wittmeier brothers a rewarding feeling. They said they try to keep things simple and their consistent customers come back just for that. Though they have made some changes since they officially took over — like accepting credit cards and getting a full liquor license — they try to stick to what their parents built for them." 'We miss those days. We miss Mom’s presence but I think she would be proud of how things are going since her passing,' John said. “We’re 'always going to try and do our best to be better today than we were yesterday and we’re grateful to our customers for sure.”
01.06.2022 Riverhead News-Review had 2021 Businesspeople of the Year: John and Otto Wittmeier by BRIANNE LEDDA
The restaurant started as a “true snack bar,” according to its website, with a grill, six counter seats and a pass-through window. The Wittmeier family, who took ownership of the business in the early 1950s, has grown the enterprise over the decades into an award-winning 125-seat restaurant with two dining rooms and a {mid-century-aesthetic}. The home-cooked menu has been recognized on both a local and national scale. Its lemon meringue pie, created by Wanda Wittmeier, took the number one spot in Saveur Magazine’s “Top 100” list of recipes for 2013. The restaurant website similarly notes the fame of its “award-winning” lobster salad, roast duck from a farm across the street, chicken croquettes and mashed turnips. The turnips especially have achieved renown. Wanda Wittmeier’s creation made its debut at the Snack Bar around 1978, according to Newsday. Hundreds of people line up for Thanksgiving pints.
The seasonal restaurant closes from mid-December through mid-April every year. In a previous Northforker interview, the brothers said reopening each year is like a big reunion with the same staff and customers. 2022 will mark Modern Snack Bar's 72nd year in business —
"In past interviews with the Northforker, the brothers recall growing up in the apartment above the restaurant. John reminisced about 'midnight snack runs,' where he’d raid the kitchen for ice cream. He also recollects the family-like atmosphere among the staff as he was growing up. That culture has continued into the present."
“'We’re like a family. And I think when people come into the restaurant, they feel that as well. We make them feel like they’re family. That’s what a lot of the customers say,'” said Rosetta Bulak, who has worked there for 36 years. The restaurant has a lot of regulars, she said. Ms. Bulak emphasized the Wittmeiers’ “hands-on” approach. “I think that’s why it works, “ she said. The brothers take on tables, make cocktails and help out wherever they’re needed. They “truly care about the customers and staff,” she emphasized.
In 2020, because of the pandemic, the restaurant did not reopen for the season until July. Ms. Bulak said Otto Wittmeier “was constantly chasing” vendors for their normal products. “Lots of times [the vendors] just didn’t have it,” she said. “They really tried to make everyone happy on their favorites, but it a daily struggle that I saw them both go through every day.” {Newsday reported that the brothers “streamlined the menu” upon reopening.}
“The comfort food is delicious while the decor and music bring us back to a time when our family gathered around the dinner table every night and talked about the day we had,” said Ellen Hoil, a Riverhead author and attorney, who has been visiting the restaurant with her family since her parents moved to the North Fork in the 1990s.
“The Modern Snack Bar has always been a family-owned business and a lot of the recipes and a lot of the {home-style-cooking} that they have in there is stuff they used to eat around their dinner table,” said Jodi Giglio, a former Riverhead councilwoman and state assemblywoman whose district includes the towns of Riverhead and Southold.
“It was a tremendous loss when they lost their mom a few years back, but they still have all of her recipes from the meatloaf to the lemon meringue pie and the key lime pie and all of the pies they’re famous for, as well as their seafood specialties like their lobster roll,” she added.
WANDA WITTMEIER via findagrave:
https://www.findagrave.com/mem...
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Saturday, September 8, 2023, when I browsed thru the SEPTEMBER 2023 northforker finding an ad re: Modern Snack Bar something told me to go write-on-ahead –{ & }- share:

“Great Home Cooking on the North Fork

Roast L. I. Duck – Fried Flounder – Roast Turkey – Local Wine & Beer – Classic Cocktails – Great Burgers & Sandwiches

Fresh Baked Pies

Open for

Lunch & Dinner

Closed

Monday & Tuesday

Just minutes from

Tanger Outlets

L.I. Aquarium

& North Fork

Wine Country

Takeouts Welcome

MODERN

SNACK BAR

SINCE

1950

628 MAIN ROAD – AQUEBOGUE

631-722-3655

www.ModernSnackBar.com