NOW is the time to grab the sunscreen and head outdoors. Sunday brunch is not just for brunch and not just on Sunday anymore. Lunch and brunch are becoming indistinguishable, as diners scan longer, more adventurous menus that go beyond "omelets your way," as they order small plates or large plates — perhaps even oysters or duck — according to whim, pocketbook or appetite.
These are a few of the places that, along with a varied menu, offer magnificent views: of the Long Island Sound, the Hudson River and the pretty inland lakes and dells. Except where noted, dishes are à la carte. Making a reservation, where they are accepted, is always a good idea.
The Long Island Sound
On Oakland Beach, two miles south of Playland, a fresh saltwater breeze always seems to be blowing. The small stretch of sand, the walkway, the pavilions and, not least, the handy concession called Seaside Johnnies, with its dining room, generous deck and active bar, turn this park on the edge of residential Rye into a lively miniature seaside resort.
The food can't live up to the spectacular view of the Sound, and it doesn't try. Dishes are just what you would expect to find at any public beach, only here at a slightly higher price. One menu fits all — lunch, brunch, snack and dinner — and it ranges from salads and sandwiches to beach baskets and shore platters, with all those crunchy fried items like clams, potatoes, chicken and shrimp well represented.
A few miles north, in Port Chester, F.I.S.H. (Fox Island Seafood House) offers a calmer midday ambience. A seat on the narrow deck offers a view down onto the Byram River, which swans never seem to mind sharing with pleasure craft.
On Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., brunch is a bargain. Begin with a spicy Bloody Mary, made the way we like it: with a dash of clam juice. The drink is included in the price of platters running from $9 to $19. The "out late night" sandwich — on good crunchy toast — has melted cheddar, tomato and bacon, and is topped with two perfectly poached eggs drizzled with hollandaise. And home fries are provided on the side. You can't do better.
The Hudson River
Take in the splendid views of the Hudson and the Palisades from one of these waterside restaurants. The river laps up to the edge of the deck and the patio of the Chart House in Dobbs Ferry, and umbrellas shade the clientele at Sunday buffet brunch ($29; $15 for children). There are salads and breads, as well as a carving station, an omelet station and a dessert section.
A few miles south, in Hastings-on-Hudson, Blu also provides that magnificent view, this one from a narrow upper deck as well as a roomier lower one. A compact menu lists the usual egg preparations, but also consider the grilled shrimp cocktail, which is smoky and unusually delicious.
A few yards up the same waterfront street, California meets Tuscany at Harvest-on-Hudson. This restaurant serves a serene lunch, Monday to Friday only. While treated to a river view on one side and lush landscaped gardens with inviting trellised paths on the other, patrons can enjoy a light lunch of, say, spring rolls, or a frittata, or arugula salad with warmed goat cheese.
Inland
Other delights await inland, and North Salem has two of them. The Silk Tree Cafe, on the high tree-shaded terrace adjoining the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden, has just reopened for the season, offering lunch Wednesday to Saturday. A local farm supplies most of the vegetables and herbs that the cafe uses in its reasonably priced menu. There are unusual salads, as well as hot and crisped chicken-and-cheese wrap, roasted salmon with soba noodles and cilantro, and seafood gumbo.
Brunch is particularly enjoyable on the stone terraces of Vox, which overlooks a long stretch of lawn in North Salem bordered by stunning flower gardens. The harvest from a small vegetable garden at the far end makes occasional appearances in the restaurant's kitchen. Omelets? Naturally. But also consider the savory complex tart made of tomato and goat cheese, the orecchiette with sweet sausage and the rich lobster bisque.
On 80 acres of rolling land in Pocantico Hills, the experimental agricultural restaurant called Blue Hill at Stone Barns is already legendary. If you are curious about where your food is coming from, look through the glass walls of the dining room or from the broad adjoining stone terrace at meticulously kept vegetable and herb gardens, greenhouses, and pens and shelters for cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry. The taste of this restaurant's fresh eggs is memorable. Complete lunch on Sunday is $42, and reservations must be made months in advance.
Half-hidden in the woods of Mahopac, Moonstone on Long Pond has all the coziness and informality of a sportsman's cabin. The deck overlooks a wide, glittery lake, a pretty backdrop for a sunny Sunday brunch of, perhaps, crab cake, homemade soup or eggs in a half-dozen variations.
BLU
100 River Street
Hastings-on-Hudson
(914) 478-4481
BLUE HILL AT STONE BARNS
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills
(914) 366-9600
CHART HOUSE
Foot of High Street
Dobbs Ferry
(914) 693-4130
F.I.S.H.
102 Fox Island Road
Port Chester
(914) 939-4227
HARVEST-ON-HUDSON
1 River Street
Hastings-on-Hudson
(914) 478-2800
MOONSTONE ON LONG POND
708 Long Pond Road
Mahopac
(845) 621-1585
SEASIDE JOHNNIES
94 Dearborn Avenue
Oakland Beach, Rye
(914) 921-6104
SILK TREE CAFE
The Hammond Museum and
Japanese Stroll Garden
North Salem
(914) 669-5033
VOX
721 Titicus Road
North Salem
(914) 669-5450
