Long Island may be one of the most densely populated areas in the country, but it doesn't have a commensurate supply of big, high-end hotels. A notable exception, though, is the luxurious Garden City Hotel, which this spring has introduced a flurry of new options for meetings.The most exotic is the Wine-Pairing Cocktail Reception, previously offered for groups of up to 50 but now available for as many as 500 participants. Wines are specially selected to go along with such appetizer dishes as Thai beef and chicken satay, Long Island lobster roll, seared rare tuna and braised oxtail. Members of the hotel's culinary hotel will be on hand to explain the gastronomic pairings.The hotel, which has 280 guestrooms and 25,000 square feet of meeting space, is a 30-minute train ride from Manhattan.The hotel also has begun offering private cooking demonstrations for meetings of about 30 participants. The demonstrations, one to two hours in length, can be customized to any event theme or culinary flair. "Today's planners are taking a greater interest in food and beverage," said Nasser Samman, general manager. "Groups expect an inventive, exceptional culinary experience."Another new F&B option at the hotel is a low-carb banquet menu.Meanwhile, planners who purchase meetings entirely with an American Express card now can get either a 3 percent savings on the full bill or a complimentary room for every 15 booked. The offer applies to meetings booked by Dec. 31, 2005 and held by July 31, 2006.