TOASTS OF THE MORNING

Everybody knows that the Hotel Bel Air is the place for power breakfasts. But if power isn’t the first thing you think of in the morning, here are a few other options.

ACME GRILL (130 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 274-5844). Fancy fast food in a kicky and colorful high-tech atmosphere. Orange juice is fresh. Oatmeal is Irish. Waffles come in all sorts of interesting varieties (chocolate, gingerbread, bacon) and omelets are made with three eggs. Open daily for breakfast, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Street parking. Cash only. Breakfast for two, $5-$15. DUKE’S (8909 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (213) 652-9411.) Duke’s hasn’t changed much since its transportation from the Tropicana to the Sunset Strip: The new room is still a teen-ager’s pine-paneled den gone berserk with album covers, black-and-white glossies and rock posters plastered on the walls. There are 32 different omelets, several kinds of bacon and terrific pancakes and corned beef hash. Cinnamon-swirl French toast is a dream. Eggs come cooked as ordered. Hash browns and bacon are nearly grease-free and crisp. Open for breakfast Monday-Fri. 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Lot parking. Cash only. Breakfast for two, $8-$15.

IL FORNAIO (301 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 550-8330). In addition to good cappuccino and all those wonderful breads and cakes and muffins, Il Fornaio offers a full range of eggs, French toast and the like. Eating breakfast here is such a pleasant way to start the day that you might actually hear rumbles of power coming from the next table. Open Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 7:30 a.m.- 11:30 p.m., Sun. 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Street parking. MC, V. Breakfast for two, $6-$12.

MILLIE’S (3524 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 662-5720). Millie’s looks like your first New York apartment transmogrified into a diner. Greasy-spoon squalor isn’t for everyone, but there’s no better place to find a cure for a comatose morning. Salvation comes in the form of fresh orange juice and something called a Devil’s Mess--scrambled eggs and spicy sausage, onion, peppers, cheese, spiked with curry and cayenne, buried under a layer of avocados. A meal is just a meal, but Millie’s is fun. Open for breakfast Tues.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Street parking. Cash only. Breakfast for two, $10-$15.

TUDY’S RESTAURANT (5006 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 937-7917). Tudy’s is a restaurant serving American home cooking with soul-food overtones. There are old-fashioned pancakes done up as pigs in a blanket and pancake sandwiches. French toast is good and there is a chicken and waffle special with or without eggs. There are all sorts of omelets. All for less than $4. The biscuits are divine with or without gravy. Open for breakfast Sun.-Thurs. 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 6 a.m.-3 a.m. Lot parking. Cash only. Breakfast for two, $6-$15.