Sanford's Restaurant Is Waiting For You S anford's Restaurant has been part of the Astoria community for 75 years and will continue to be for years to come, thanks to the commitment of its owners. Brothers Gus and Chris Karalekas take pride in purchasing the freshest, finest quality food so Sanford's can offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch, all at very reasonable prices.

Always adapting to the desires of the neighborhood,

Sanford's menu and interior are updated regularly to offer something different to the many loyal customers and new customers alike. You'll be surprised at the sophisticated selection of wines and imported beers in this petite restaurant. Bottles of wine from Italy, Australia and California complement your meal and run from an amazingly low $17 to $36. The selection of Belgian, British and Irish ales and beers surpasses any place in town.

Come in for breakfast on your way to work and choose among fresh omelets, egg sandwiches, French toast, muffins, bagels and great coffee. There's a fabulous weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that has people queuing up on Saturdays and Sundays. The $10 fixed-price menu includes a brunch cocktail, juice, coffee, home fries and an entrée, including smoked salmon eggs Benedict, blueberry cinnamon walnut French toast, Florentine frittata, salads and Sanford's signature Western brunch quesadilla with guacamole and sour cream.

Lunchtime offers many delicious options including an incredible $10 prix fixe lunch that includes a bowl of home-style soup, fresh salad and a pasta entrée, such as fettuccine carbonara with smoky bacon, and a beverage. On the menu are also great sandwiches, wraps and salads for lunch, such as their home style focaccia sandwiches piled high with choice of roasted vegetables, barbecued chicken or fresh mozzarella and tomato. A variety of wraps stuffed with barbecued chicken, vegetables or lobster salad also satisfies a big appetite. All focaccia sandwiches and wraps are served with soup or salad and French fries or sweet potato fries. Don't forget the juicy burgers with a variety of toppings, or veggie or turkey burgers.

At dinnertime, it's hard to pass up Sanford's Restaurant, where the blackboard outside lures diners with the nightly specials and the $18.95 prix fixe menu simply can't be beat. The tempting appetizers include calamari arrabiata, crunchy rings of calamari tossed with a slightly spicy sauce that goes well with warm bread. Greek style bruschetta tops toasted rounds of bread with feta cheese, tomatoes and red onion. Entrees include grilled Angus hanger steak, cooked to order and served with mashed sweet potato and seared asparagus with a port wine reduction. My favorite dish at Sanford's is the pecan crusted yellowfin tuna. This rich, supremely fresh fish should be ordered cooked rare to bring out all the flavor of the fish. The pecan crust is crunchy and hot and the accompanying wasabi sauce will clear your sinuses. I also loved the roasted potatoes that rested below the tuna. Also on the prix fixe menu is charred wild king salmon paillard, a thick fillet of salmon served on a bed of organic green salad dressed with honey balsamic vinaigrette. Grilled Cajun shrimp creole served over jasmine rice is another nice menu item.

The regular customers all have their favorites, one of which is the pecan crusted chicken, served over a generous salad of organic greens with dried cranberries, almonds, apples and sesame-ginger dressing ($9.95).

Sanford's has great pasta dishes, such as creamy risotto, toothsome Italian Arborio rice, slowly cooked with three kinds of mushrooms or with shrimp, asparagus and saffron for just $15.95. Pillows of tender ravioli are stuffed with lump crabmeat or with Portobello mushrooms and mozzarella ($13.95).

Crisp grilled duck breast served with jasmine rice and Asian sauce was recently added to the menu. A thick, juicy, 20-ounce Certified Angus steak is cooked to the diner's liking and served with seasoned fries for just $20.95. Steak au poivre coated in black peppercorns is served with a red wine reduction.

Desserts are something special, too. Save room for a Rockslide Brownie with luscious caramel, toasted pecans and milk chocolate ganache, served warm with vanilla ice cream. Banana Xangos combines a creamy cheesecake filling and chunks of banana wrapped in a flaky pastry topped with cinnamon sugar and served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream drizzled with caramel sauce. Other choices include caramel apple pie and four-layer carrot cake.

Great food, lovely presentation by a friendly staff and a fine selection of wines and beers at low prices are just some of the reasons why you should visit Sanford's Restaurant. There's no time like the present, since Sanford's Restaurant is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Don't cook tonight, or tomorrow. Sanford's will deliver to your home or office for free from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. their catering clientele include the Queens Council on the Arts. Given that kind of recommendation, I'll definitely be back for more.