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Restaurants serving brunch on Long Island

BY JOAN REMINICK | joan.reminick@newsday.com

April 11, 2008

Restaurants serving brunch on Long Island offer a variety of choices.

Brunch is the type of meal you want to eat on a lazy Sunday, when waking up early isn't a priority. The beauty of brunch is that there are no rules - you can eat almost anything you like, from poached eggs or pancakes to a salad or sandwich to a serious pasta or steak.

The following restaurants represent just a sampling of the brunch possibilities Long Island offers. Keep in mind that prices don't include tax or gratuity and that it's smart to call ahead and reserve, especially since private parties occasionally pre-empt a restaurant's regular schedule.

Nassau

Bistro Citron, 1362 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn, 516-403-4400, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A scenic pond-side setting defines this French bistro where a $17 prix-fixe brunch includes a Bloody Mary, mimosa or glass of juice, a main course and coffee or tea. Dishes include a smoked salmon and cream-cheese omelet, pancakes, salade Niçoise, quiche Lorraine and savory crêpes (such as shrimp and asparagus).

Novita, 860 Franklin Ave., Garden City, 516-739-7660. Noon to 3 p.m. This stylish Italian wine bar and trattoria serves a mimosa or Bellini with such brunch entrees as Nutella French toast, at $13 or a country frittata with fontina, bacon, potatoes, peppers and onion at $12. Drinks aren't included with anything on the a la carte menu, which lists such choices as prosciutto grilled asparagus, a panino of white truffle-scrambled eggs with sopressata and provolone, and an arugula chicken Milanese salad, at $14, the most expensive dish.

Polo Restaurant, Garden City Hotel, 45 Seventh St., Garden City, 516-877-9352. Noon to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. This hotel restaurant has long reigned over the Long Island brunch scene with its opulent buffet, for which reservations are strongly recommended. Although the price may seem steep ($64 a person, $32 for children younger than 12), it includes unlimited mimosas and Bloody Marys and a huge display of seafood - lobster, shrimp and crab legs - as well as carving, omelet and sushi stations and a variety of hot and cold dishes and desserts.

Suffolk

Bistro Cassis, 55B Wall St., Huntington, 631-421-4122. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This charming Gallic bistro offers a $19 prix fixe that includes a choice of mimosa, Bloody Mary or orange juice as well as coffee or tea. The menu features such dishes as banana cinnamon pancakes, mushroom and spinach omelet, onion tart, lobster club sandwich and a variety of savory crêpes.

Prime Restaurant, 117 New York Ave., Huntington, 631-385-1515. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. At this imposing waterside restaurant, a live jazz trio plays during the a la carte brunch. Prices range from $11 for chocolate chip hotcakes to $38 for filet mignon.

Tellers Chophouse, 605 Main St., Islip, 631-277-7070. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Situated inside a converted bank, this elegant steakhouse serves an a la carte brunch that includes, in the entree price, a Bloody Mary, Bellini or mimosa, as well as an assortment of house-baked breads and muffins. Prices range from $12 for eggs with sausage or bacon to $28 for steak and eggs.

Wave Restaurant & Lounge at Danford's Hotel & Marina, 25 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson, 631-928-5200 ext. 170. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can gaze at the boats on the Long Island Sound harbor at this renamed and refurbished restaurant where the buffet brunch costs $29.95 a person ($12.95 for kids 12 and younger). The array includes a variety of hot and cold entrees, a carving station, a shrimp bar, an omelet station and a wide selection of desserts.