The Fat Snook
By Tobin Bennison

When celebrated Irish writer/house painter Brendan Behan was asked his opinion of William Butler Yeats’ reputation as the greatest poet of the 20th century, he replied with a colorful anecdote about the aristocratic aesthete turning up his nose at a plate of freshly-cooked parsnips.

The highly embellished version goes that Mr. Yeats harrumphed audibly and pushed the lowly root vegetables aside as undeserving of his refined palate. “I don’t care if he wrote ‘Cathleen Ní Houlihan’,” Behan bellowed, citing one of Yeats’ masterpieces, “I can’t respect any man who won’t eat his parsnips.”
Now personally I don’t mind the things -- and that’s not just a bid to win literary approval. They can be bland – sort of a cross between a potato and a bitter carrot -- yet I can’t help but imagine Yeats scarfing down the Fat Snook’s parsnips with barbaric abandon as Behan throws his arms around him in a drunken bear hug. Yes, they’re that good. And that was just one of the side vegetables accompanying my entree -- one lone parsnip roasted to perfection in olive oil, salt and herbs.

Everything on the Fat Snook’s menu is prepared with equal finesse -- from the preliminary amuse-bouche to the main course. For those unfamiliar with the rather fruity-sounding French term, an amuse-bouche (literally “mouth amuser”) is a bite-sized morsel served before the appetizer or first course to awaken the taste buds and provide a slight lip-smack of the flavors to come.

Ours -- a honeydew melon ball glazed with ginger vinaigrette -- was an outstanding example of what we were to eat throughout the course of the evening. In fact, by the time the warm bread arrived with roasted red pepper jam, it was clear that every tempting component of the Fat Snook’s menu would be geared toward that same delicious end. Throughout the course of the meal, we found that each individual bite lured our tongues further into their flavorful lair. If it weren’t for our stomachs’ limited capacity, we could have stayed hours longer sampling bits of each dish to prolong the reverie. Everything here -- from the décor, the presentation, and the uncommonly professional service -- seemed to be an amuse-bouche. And our bouches were highly amused.

We’d been hearing great things about the Fat Snook since its doors opened four months ago and finally made it there for a review. In what is a truly collaborative effort, owners John and Mona Foy -- he the finely-tuned workhorse, she the ethereal artist suggesting inventive flourishes over his shoulder -- have choreographed a delicately-balanced dance of flavors in which each ingredient segues cleanly and gracefully into the next. Everything has its proper place here; nothing’s added for show. This inspired interaction -- both from the food and the chefs -- gives the Fat Snook’s dishes a living vibrancy rarely found in beachside eateries.

Choose from starters like the tuna carpaccio and mooli salad, pan roasted pale ale clams, lobster bisque, or the tossed heirloom caprese salad. We tried the peppercorn bacon-wrapped scallops in a light raspberry sauce; they were better than their description intimated -- a perfect balance of salt and sweet. It should be noted that the Foys use only dry sea scallops (others are injected with unnecessary additives), which makes for a much more tender and truer-tasting shellfish. We also tried the guava and Spanish manchego filo pouches glazed with passion fruit coulis; again, sweetly spicy (due to a light dusting of cayenne on the dough), with occasional surprising bursts of the melted sheep’s milk cheese.

This element of surprise figures heavily in the Fat Snook’s food. But it’s more proper to refer to it as “serendipitous,” as many of the pairings challenge what you know about familiar flavors without leaving you scratching your head in befuddlement. Whereas much of the current nouveau cuisine tends to confuse adventure with shock, the Fat Snook’s version guides you safely through a meal marked by discovery and enlightenment.

Seafood selections include lemon grass-skewered Key West pink shrimp, cedar planked salmon, and seafood Newburg over puff pastry. We tried one of the two fresh catches of the day they offer (cobia, wahoo, mahi, tile, pompano, grouper, hog snapper, triple tail and other local fish make recurring appearances): the outstanding wahoo Waikiki style, grilled with thyme, Hawaiian red lava salt and a pineapple truffle vinaigrette. With a name like “the Fat Snook,” you’d expect the place to do a brisk fish business, and while it’s one of the Foys’ specialties, the “turf” entrees are just as good, if not better. Expect a grilled “Delmonico au fromage,” a stellar filet mignon, and a garlic-encrusted prime rib. Chicken dishes are covered with a grilled breast with mango and black rum sauce, and a goat cheese and basil chicken rollatini with chianti demi-glaze.

Those same friends who recommended the Snook touted the butternut squash ravioli, and we couldn’t leave without giving it a try. It was everything they said it would be – and more. The squash filling intimated wintry comfort while the light citrus chardonnay sauce suggested sunnier climes. Other dishes include five cheese tortellini in a pink vodka sauce, or smothered black beans over jasmine rice topped with a blackened chicken breast. All entrees include a choice of salad (either spinach, orange almond, or Caesar) and all steak and chicken selections come with a chef’s choice of starch and vegetable. Top that off with a slice of key lime pie (or another of their in-house made desserts), and you’ve got a dinner made in heaven.

I have to admit that I’ve always found food writing to be a bit of a sham. Writing about film, music, and even other writing draws from common reference points all readers can relate to. Writing about food proves a bit more difficult, as taste is, well…a matter of taste. Reading an article about a meal just doesn’t compare to digging into the real thing.

When it comes to describing food like the Fat Snook’s, words simply fail. On all counts -- flavor, portion, atmosphere, and value – they gave us one of the best beachside meals we’ve had.

The Fat Snook (open Monday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to close) is located in Cocoa Beach, one block south of Natural Art Surf Shop at 2464 S. Atlantic Ave. (Hwy. A1A). Call (321) 784-1190 to make reservations -- which are recommended. Visit them online to view their menu at: www.thefatsnook.com