Salumi Tapas & Wine Bar

Salumi Tapas and Wine Bar, located in Massapequa, NY recently opened its doors in Spring 2011. As you enter, you see the massive 32 foot antique timber bar with seating for 18 and the dark ceiling beams overhead. The atmosphere is warm and rustic with tons of reclaimed wood and brick, and even the barn-board booths, bistro tables and leather banquettes are custom made from gorgeous old board and timber. The unpretentious menu features a variety of interesting small plates of Spanish and Italian origin and is a nice addition to Long Island.

From polenta with truffled mushrooms to Catalan-style short-rib and chorizo and beet-orange salad, as well as a wide selection of artfully composed cheese and cured meat boards with fruits and nuts, Salumi provides an eclectic menu. The wine list is value-driven with over 70 hand-picked wines from across Europe and the the New World, many by the glass, and craft beers on tap and in the bottle. There is also a full bar.

The vibe is hip, foody, and casual - the food, wine, and beer is gourmet, but the attitude is laid back. The music is a mix of everything from Flamenco and old jazz to rhythm and blues and bluegrass guitar. This is a place to eat fun, sophisticated food and drink great wine in your hippest gear or just a black T-shirt and jeans. The point is relaxation, fun, and a new experience with every visit.

Keith and I were in town visiting family for the holidays and decided to check out this new tapas bar.  I immediately noticed the chalk boards with the wine specials and the "American Bordeaux" red wine flight caught my eye.  After being seated, we ordered the wine flight (3 wines for $16 - merlot, cab-franc, cab-sauv), while we took time to peruse the menu and plot our course.  Numerous items caught our eye, but we finally settled on 6 tapas and a cheese and meat board of 5 items - plenty of food to share.  Each course came out one-by-one and were timed pretty evenly.  The burrata was so fresh and tender and paired well with the peppery greens and tart citrus.  The bocadilla was delicious - very salty from the pork, but a nice hearty sandwich that would be perfect for lunch on its own.  We only ordered the patatas bravas to compare to the original we've had in Spain - and it was pretty close in flavor, just slightly different in presentation where the sides here were put aside, whereas they drizzle the sauces on top in Spain.  The empanada was beautifully flaky and the pumpkin filling not too sweet.  The polenta was a star with its decadent truffles and creamy sauce, but was too small.  I really enjoyed the cheese board and was glad that we could pick and choose our own. They also have preset boards featuring items from Spain, Italy, or France.  Everything paired well with the wine flight and I was very happy and full when we left.

Overall, the service was decent and unpretentious and the food was casual and great for couples are larger groups.  It was nice to see a place like Salumi in the suburbs of Long Island and I highly recommend it for others to try.  I would come back again with friends.

Total Rating: 3.975
Food: 4.5, Price: 3, Service: 3.5, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 3

What I ate:

♥Burrata♥

fresh mozzarella with a creamy center

atop oranges, roast beets & dressed greens

Patatas Bravas

sliced roasted potatoes with spicy red sauce and cumin aioli

Empanada

crispy house-made pastry wrapped around a savory pumpkin filling

 Pork Belly Bocadillo

slow-cooked pork in chili-garlic sauce with pickled carrots

and cilantro on house-backed roll

♥Polenta with truffled mushrooms♥

in creamy madeira sauce

♥Cheese and Meat Board♥

campo de mobtalban – La Mancha, Spain  –  3-6 months cow, sheep, and goat's milk.

pecorino tartufo – Umbria, Italy  –  buttery nutty flavor enhanced with aromatic black truffles 

serrano ham  –  TSG Extramadura, Spain  –  rich and salty Spanish "mountain ham"

lomo – Andalucia, Spain – pork loin seasoned with garlic, sea salt and smoked paprika, cured for 90 days

rosette de lyon – San Francisco, California  – French style salame made with red wine and black peppercorns

all served on a board with accompaniments of fruit, compotes and nuts

Plus Keith ate:

Ox Tail

tender beef on the bone in aromatic red wine sauce