Slow Food East End’s Snail of Approval recognition is ever-evolving to honor a broader range of food purveyors.
“You want anyone who deals with food to deal with everything in a good, clean and fair manner,” says Ralph Reinertsen, Snail of Approval chairman. “You want the product to be good, you want it to be ecologically sustainable, you want it to be healthy for the people who consume it and, for the workers doing the hard labor, you want those workers to be treated fairly.”
The recognition, developed in 2014 to shine light on people and places with those values, is awarded to Slow Food East End board and member-nominated food purveyors, plus individual and self-nominated entities after an extensive vetting process.
Reinertsen came into his role two years ago and aimed to revolutionize the award. Prior to his time on the board, Reinertsen saw a lot of the North Fork’s high-end restaurants being honored.
“They deserve their awards, but I thought it would be nice to find places where you could go and eat on a regular basis when you aren’t celebrating someone’s birthday or a wedding anniversary,” Reinertsen says.
Some recent Snail recipients include Atelier Disset, Cutchogue Diner, Lombardi’s Love Lane Market, Mattituck Mushrooms and South Fork Bakery.
Lauren Lombardi, owner of Lombardi’s Love Lane Market, earned the recognition thanks to her contributions to non-profits and community needs. Atelier Disset’s Master chocolatier Ursula XVII’s consciousness of ethically producing chocolate and tapping into local products made her stand out to the Snail committee. At the Cutchogue Diner, owner John Touhey took the hit rather than raising egg costs for customers when prices rose earlier this year.
“He had a great deal of trouble because he knew his clientele and ‘they’re coming in for two eggs,’” says Reinertsen. “He said, ‘My prices rose really high but I can’t do that to these people, it’s their chance to go out and have a nice little meal and I can’t take that away from them.’”
South Fork Bakery’s business won over Reinertsen’s attention this year. This business has been employing adults with disabilities since 2016 and earned non-profit status two years later.
“If we can do our little bit to touch people’s hearts and open their pocketbooks and to buy their product, the better,” says Reinertsen of his decision to recognize South Fork Bakery. “It’s just as good as anybody else’s and the cause is so much better.”
Moving forward, Reinertsen says the committee plans to keep awarding small food businesses but also institutions, like last year’s Snail award to Peconic Bay Medical Center chef Chris Singleman for transforming hospital food into something nutritious and delicious, making the patient experience a stand-out on the East End.
Silver Sands Motel was another recent recipient, honored for its good, clean and fair hospitality. The Greenport motel functions with fossil fuel-free, all-electric operations, native and low intervention landscaping, plus a close relationship with local farmers and fisheries. The hotel and three on-site eateries, Nookies, Eddies and The Boathouse were all recognized.
“I think the point of difference in our uniqueness is probably the holistic approach we take,” says Fintan O’Hara, executive chef and partner at Silver Sands Motel.
The accommodation’s year-round operations and commitment to paying livable wages, combined with their closely sourced seafood offerings in their on-site dining options, were just a few of the characteristics that made the property stand out.
To learn more about the Snail of Approval recipients, visit Slow Food East End’s Instagram.
