BIRCHWOODS:
At the Four Points Sheraton,
151-20 Baisley Blvd. (North Conduit
and Baisley Park), Jamaica, 489-1036.

HOURS: 6 a.m. to 10: 30 p.m., daily. “Grand Breakfast” buffets and lunch buffets served 11: 45 a.m. to 2 :30 p.m.; “Jazz & Cappuccino Brunch” served Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ($15.50); “Sunset Dinners” served from 5:30 p.m.

CUISINE: American

HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE: Yes

CREDIT CARDS: All major

The Birchwoods, a Manhattan-style restaurant without the Big Apple’s high prices and attitude, offers innovative cuisine, skillfully prepared dishes, and an inviting setting that is both markedly elegant and intimate.

Imagine an airport restaurant serving charred sliced leg of young lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and arrugula. This is only one of The Birchwoods three-course Sunset Dinners ($19.98); other features include corn and crab chowder, Maine lobster curry and roasted halibut. And the food is not all you can choose. The Birchwoods offers several different ambiance’s- the Patio with skylight, quaint outdoor Gazebo and wine room- and extensive American and international wine lists.

My guest and I were privy to a “Great Lunch Buffet” ($10.95), prepared by veteran Manhattan chef Kevin Buckenberger. The roasted chicken, served in a delicious sauce with onions and mushrooms, was truly fantastic, every morsel being tender, fatless and even sweet. We also tried a portion of tasty ear-shaped pasta, served in cream sauce, and delicious creamed potatoes.

Other possibilities included a variety of meats, Long Island seafood, and pasta. My guest enjoyed a large helping of carved roast, served with a sweet corn salad, while I enjoyed delicious vegetable soup. Our maitre’d also welcomed us to choose from la carte, which offered sandwiches, burgers, pasta, steak and broiled fish. But the odor of sweet chicken prevailed.

For dessert, we tried a fudgey, rummy chocolate cake, thick with glazed frosting, and some whipped chocolate mousse. Colorful pink and purple Napoleon’s made the dessert table even more irresistible, as did a variety of cookies and sweets. We finished with two steaming cappuccinos.

Have no fear: this luxury restaurant is not in the flight path of incoming or departing aircraft. We dined free of the scream of jet engines, enjoying the hotel-style elegance that surely impressed Mayor Giuliani on his recent visit.

This holiday season is a great time to try the Birchwoods, where traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are on Santa's list. And don’t fret if you’ve already made plans. The Birchwoods “Lunch and Ride” service picks you up in a hotel van and takes you from and to any of the hotel pick-up areas at JFK airport, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Call 489-1000 at least one-half hour before pick-up. Semi-private parties for up to 120 guests are available.