Dining & Nightlife | Foodie Gossip

As summer continues, the quality LI cuisine just keeps coming. Here, the first (and some say most important) meal of the day gets its day in the sun and we get a taste of what could be called “ancient eats.”

Breakfast makes a rare appearance in Foodie Gossip land, starting with Left Coast Kitchen and Cocktails in Merrick (516) 868-5338. From 8:30am-1pm on Saturday and Sunday, all of the old favorites will be available, with some classic breakfast dishes getting an haute cuisine makeover. Influences for each “House Plate” are wildly different, ranging from a “Temple Burger,” which features lox, scrambled eggs, cream cheese, red onion and sliced tomato sandwiched between two large homemade latkes to “The Truck Stop,” which contains maple mesquite sweet potato tots smothered in BBQ pulled pork with sunny-side up eggs. For those who prefer lighter breakfast fare, Back Page Café (in the rear of Page at 63 Main) in Sag Harbor (631) 725-1813 is all organic. Granola, steel-cut oatmeal and multigrain pancakes share the menu with egg white omelets, with a diverse choice of ingredients—peppers, tomatoes, onion, avocado, spinach and potato hash. There is also a full assortment of organic juice, smoothies and more.

These days, being the 21st century and all, high technology is ubiquitous in the modern restaurant kitchen, but ancient cooking methods still can produce top eats. For later in the day, check out Grana in Jamesport (631) 779-2844 is using the wood-burning brick oven to make pizzas the old-fashioned way. Co-owner David Plath did extensive studying and research in order to create the best pizza possible and imported a brick oven from Tuscany—and it was all worth it. His highly original toppings and perfectly crafted crusts are a hit. Head to the North Fork Oyster Company in Greenport (631) 477-6840 on Mondays and Tuesdays for the rest of the summer where Executive Chef Richard Lanza is creating a special straight from Atlantic coast Native Americans of thousands of years ago—the lobster and clam bake. For $49/person, Chef Lanza is presenting a family style feast of lobster, clams, mussels, potatoes, and local corn, along with soup, salad, dessert and a glass of white sangria.

Looking for more breakfast? Bite into our feature on the Island’s best in this coming October issue. Send your food news to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).