Breakfasts of champions

It’s the most important meal of the day, and Longboat Key isn’t short of breakfast and brunch offerings. Check out the five brunch restaurants on (or almost on) Longboat.

New Pass Grill

1505 Ken Thompson Parkway

388-3050

Breakfast: 7 to 10:30 a.m. seven days a week

Although it’s not technically on Longboat Key, breakfast at New Pass Grill provides stunning views of the Key and Sarasota Bay.

Early risers can enjoy egg and cheese sandwiches with sausage, ham or bacon, Danish pastries, French toast sticks, muffins and hash brown sticks.

“We’re very affordable,” said General Manager Debra Haithcock. “We’re the cheapest around, and it’s another thing to be able to sit on the water. A lot of the time you can see dolphins playing while you eat.”

The most popular item on the breakfast menu is the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant.

“We’re one of the few who put enough meat in the sandwich to actually taste it,” Haithcock said.

Harry’s Continental Kitchens

525 St. Judes Drive

383-0777

Breakfast: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday

When you enter Harry’s restaurant, friendly servers greet you and immediately bring a basket of banana bread and biscuits to your table.

“I just think the whole ambiance of the restaurant makes it stand out,” owner Harry Christensen said. “It’s a white tablecloth place where you can go and have a nice meal, and it’s priced moderately.”

The restaurant serves nearly 400 people for brunch on Sundays during season. Menu items include omelets, breakfast sandwiches, French toast and several eggs Benedicts, with made-from-scratch hollandaise sauce. And don’t forget the breakfast cocktails, including the bloody mary and pineapple mimosa.

“Everything is made fresh and fast, and we cook everything to order,” Christensen said. “The menu we have is so well-rounded with a variety of dishes. I have people tell me all the time it’s the best breakfast they’ve had anywhere in the world. They really, really love it.”

Blue Dolphin Cafe

5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive

383-3787

Breakfast: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There is something for every taste on Blue Dolphin’s large breakfast menu, from several omelet and pancake offerings to sandwiches, waffles and blintzes.

“Everything is fresh, and we use as many ‘Fresh From Florida’ ingredients we can,” said co-owner Robbie Ball. “We try to be local as much as we can.”

The restaurant uses eggs from Sutter’s Dairy and Egg Farm in Sarasota, Florida strawberries, buttermilk from Dakin Dairy Farms in Arcadia, and Natalie’s Orange Juice from Fort Pierce.

“If we can get something local, we do,” Ball said. “It makes the food fresher and better, so why wouldn’t we?”

The restaurant also uses eco-friendly products when possible.

Simply Susanne’s Cafe

3172 Gulf of Mexico Drive

702-8526

Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Simply Susanne’s, Longboat’s newest restaurant, offers several breakfast items, including bagels, lox, waffles, smoothies, quesadillas and burritos, along with a variety of coffee and tea options.

“We do everything from scratch every morning, and we use fresh, real ingredients,” said co-owner Susanne Pieken. “Since everything is made from scratch, we can customize everything.”

The couple who work for Pieken and her husband, Wolfgang, brought some recipes with them to the cafe.

“Our burritos are some of our best items because they make tomatillo sauce and fresh chorizo from their homemade recipe,” Pieken said.

Longbeach Cafe

6838 Gulf of Mexico Drive

383-7900

Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday

For many Longboaters, Longbeach Cafe is a favorite breakfast spot.

“It’s a very locals’ local place,” owner Colleen Collandra said. “Most of my customers know all my staff, and they talk to my staff. Everyone knows us here.”

Popular menu items include omelets, the vegetable frittata and the Popeye Special, which is poached eggs and sautéed spinach. The menu also includes an array of healthy food items, including a smoothie, fruit platter and the Good Morning Cocktail, with organic vanilla yogurt, granola and seasonal berries.

“Everything is homemade,” Collandra said. “It’s quaint, it’s reasonable, the staff is friendly, and all the cooks are good. We’re all about quality, consistency and price.”