It’s a tough Snob, but somebody had to do it

By The Food Snob - Apr 8, 2014 | 0 comments

Granite Restaurant.

O Steaks and Seafood.

Celery Stick Cafe at the Concord Food Co-op.

The Barley House.

Being social isn’t really part of the Food Snob’s skill set. The only things we communicate with on a regular basis tend to be appetizers and entrees. So at first glance we might have seemed an odd choice to help preview the YMCA’s upcoming Spring Social on April 16 (see all the important details on below).

Until we reveal this one important fact: we invented the YMCA. Oh, wait, that’s the wrong fact. What we meant to say was, this year’s gala features a top chef competition among four local restaurants, all of which were charged with creating an springy appetizer to wow patrons.

All of the offerings will be available to taste at the event, and attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite. We trust you’ll let your palate do the talking (if palates could talk, oh the things they’d say) by tasting them all yourself, but here’s a little preview of what you can expect.

The Barley House

The heezy went with fried brussel sprouts for their entry. Remember when your mom used to tell you to eat your brussel sprouts and you used to resist furiously? Yeah, these aren’t those. These come with a crispy, fried exterior and are served with bits of house-cured bacon, crushed roasted walnuts and shaved parmesan, with a side of garlic lemon aoli for dipping.

The first thing we noticed was the delightful aroma – it was darn near intoxicating. The second thing we noticed was the bacon, because, well, bacon. These were delightful little buggers, fried but not greasy and full of flavor. If this is what all vegetables were like, the people behind the food pyramid would have much less convincing to do.

Celery Stick Cafe

The Celery Stick Cafe at the Co-op isn’t afraid to experiment, so it should come as no surprise that its offering was probably the most adventurous of the bunch – a tuna tartare served on a fried wonton skin with avocado, green onion, a little salmon roll and topped with a wasabi cream sauce.

The yellowfin tuna was super fresh and seasoned with lemon juice, salt and other things we probably missed when chef Scott Jones was explaining it to us. That’s because we were too busy trying not to inhale all three portions at once.

The cream in the wasabi cream sauce simmered the heat down so it packed a bite but wasn’t intrusive, while the avocado added some extra creaminess and the wonton delivered a light and crunchy element. The whole thing was actually very light and springy – not in the trampoline sense, but in the seasonal one.

O Steaks and Seafood

Someone at O has been playing with a new toy – chef Chris Roscoe said as much in reference to the smoker, which helped produce the smoked brisket served on a polenta crustini with arugula micros and drizzled with a maple mustard.

The brisket was smoked to perfection, with some bark on the outside but tender meat everywhere else, and the maple mustard was outstanding, the sweetness of the maple balancing out the zestiness of the mustard. The presentation was simple, but the flavors and textures were anything but, a salty and sweet combo that was on point throughout.

Granite Restaurant

The spring menu was still being finalized by chef Corey Fletcher, but he put plenty of spring into his selection, an herbes de provence with goat cheese cream on braised chicken, served with spring vegetables in a puff pastry cup.

The vegetables were plentiful and flavorful – mushrooms, peas, asparagus, roasted red peppers – and the puff pastry was lighter than it looked and delightfully flaky. The goat cheese cream was also light, and was more mild than some goat cheese offerings. And the chicken was tender and flavorful. None of the flavors were too dominant, but all worked together pleasantly.

Everything you need to know about the YMCA's Spring Social

The Concord Family YMCA’s 10th Annual Spring Social, In Good Spirits, returns April 16.  Hosted by Merrimack County Savings Bank, New Hampshire Distributors, and Centrix Bank, festivities will be held at the Capitol Center for the Arts from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  The event raises funds for the YMCA’s annual campaign, keeping the Y’s programs, childcare, and facilities available to all – regardless of ability to pay.    

Attendees must be 21 or older and can sample wines from several local vineyards and distributors, as well as a variety of beers, and the evening will feature the Top Chef Cook-Off previewed on these pages (trust us, it’s yummy.)

The silent and premier live auctions include an abundance of items donated by local merchants, from prime Red Sox seats to notable items from San Antonio Spurs forward and Concord native Matt Bonner.

Spring Social tickets are $35 per person, and can be purchased online at concordymca.org, by calling 228-9622, stopping at the YMCA at 15 N. State St. or emailing ptaylor@concordymca.org.

Wine representatives and vineyards will be on hand from:

∎ R.P. Imports

∎ Wineberries, 

∎ Zorvino

∎ Gallo 

∎ Horizon

∎ Jewell Towne Vineyards

∎ Candia Vineyard