It’s now just over a year since Mike Santoro (Santoro Hospitality Group) purchased the Ocean View Restaurant from the Jackson family. Since his ownership, there has always been talk about introducing breakfast to this restaurant, that has a serious following.
As of January first 2016, the idea of breakfast became a reality in the form of brunch. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can go to the Ocean View for brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, and the good news is that this is NOT just for the Winter. Brunch is happening year round.
Being a year round restaurant, the Ocean View and its team want to be open for its loyal and new patrons as much as possible. This is going to be a nice addition to the list of Summer places to grab breakfast on the weekends. Think of the line outside of Biscuits!
The Ocean View’s Brunch
What makes the Ocean View (OV as it is referred to on the menu)? It has a full bar. With that comes a list of signature cocktails, including a Guava Mimosa made with fresh juice or the OV Bloody Mary – “kick ass” Bloody Mary with cajun shrimp. YUM! I opted for a Blood Orange Mimosa, a nice twist on the traditional one.
Since it’s cold out, you can also enjoy a little warmth from a classic Irish Coffee or try one of their hot toddies.
For the menu, there is a nice selection to choose from. For me, I always need to have pancakes available for the kiddos. At the OV, there are several to choose from, blueberry, chocolate chip, banana-almond or of course plain.
There’s also the Fresh Berried French Toast, which boasts thick Texas Toast, raspberries and blueberries, and is dusted with cinnamon & powdered sugar. Wow does it look good.
Then there are omelettes and burritos. Mike’s Croissant Breakfast Sandwich, a croissant topped with eggs, avocado, and applewood smoked bacon, served with fruit. It looked so good. Perhaps you’re looking for something different — try the Huevos Rancheros, which is pictured below.
If you like eggs benny, the O.V. Eggs Benedict with Grilled Asparagus and Prosciutto would be the thing to try. No whimpy English Muffin on this bad boy. It’s served on a warm biscuit. This one sounds amazing but I can only imagine the calories this bad boy contains.
For all you corned beef fans, there is house made corned beef hash & eggs. Turns out this is a family recipe from restaurant manger, Jen Toppin. She brought us a side and it was indeed delicious. Even my kiddos dove in.
Charly & AJ got the chocolate chip pancakes. The fact that they were topped with Hersey Kisses sealed the deal, it was the best day ever for them. The O.V. has a great kids menu which is a bonus for me.
For me, I went with the East Chop Omlette (trying to be a little healthier) with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked ham and brie, yes brie my friends, served with home fries and toast. They had me at brie!
This paired perfectly with my Blood Orange Mimosa and together, made me one happy brunch goer. Though I have to admit that I do wish I got the Fresh Berried Toast!
Each menu item seems well thought out with ingredient combinations and sides. Also the dishes are generous portions which is good because brunch is one of those meals you linger over. You can savor things a bit more. I feel like brunch is a happy meal for adults, and kids even seem to agree.
Also, you’re bound to run into friends when there, since the Ocean View is loved by so many.
I have to say that I like going to the Ocean View for brunch. It was somewhere different for Islanders to visit. I like having a variety of breakfast/brunch options to keep me busy on the weekends. The staff was really great, and since you’re having mimosas, you don’t feel bad about letting the kids eat bowls of popcorn after their pancakes!
The only thing is, the brunch is a bit pricey. However, you do get a lot for your money. I will be back soon though, because I can’t get that French Toast off my mimd!
The O.V.’s brunch is served Saturday & Sunday, year-round from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you’re a fan of their lunch, not to worry. The lunch menu is available at 11:30 a.m. Don’t forget about them for dinner too!
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