Best brunch places in Long Island City: The weekend starts here

Located within walking distance of Socrates Sculpture Park, the Bel Aire earns points for extras like the gratis beets and chickpeas your family can nosh on while you wait for your order. Seen-it-all staffers won’t grimace when you mention your child’s food allergies.

This Long Island City restaurant serves market-driven casual fare for breakfast and lunch, and sells its house-made sauces, jams and pickles in a small retail area.

Hugue Dufour’s rich, ribald fare, listed on blackboards in the terrifically kitschy public-school setting, can be as challenging as any avant-garde artwork—to your arteries as well as your sense of adventure. The menu, which changes daily, runs to veal brains, blood pudding and big, seared slabs of foie gras. The poultry comes clawed, the bibimbap riff covered in more colorful streaks—chili sauce, maple syrup, yuzu mayo—than a Jackson Pollock. Museum shows can be hit or miss. The best art in the building might be on the plate.

The owners of this inviting nook located near P.S.1 are parents themselves, and are happy to create special meals for picky eaters. But with a roster of dishes like mac and cheese, tomato-basil soup and grilled cheese combos (crafted from locally farmed ingredients), you're not likely to need that safety net. A selection of house-made cupcakes and brownies make for a nice finish.