RESTAURANTS : There’s a Cuisine for Every Mother’s Taste Available on Her Day

Two venerable American institutions sure to do a brisk trade this Sunday are the telephone company and the restaurant industry. Mother wouldn’t have it any other way.

Orange County offers a wide range of specialty brunches and exotic buffets that fit into many price categories and reflect many cooking styles. The ones listed here are merely a small sampling; many of your favorite restaurants are sure to be planning their own festivities. Of course you should make reservations early, preferably a full day in advance.

Ann Marie’s, 2460 Coast Highway, Corona del Mar (714) 720-9000. Brunch from 11 a.m., $15 per person.

This quiet, understated restaurant with its pastel color scheme and homey ambiance serves a special Mother’s Day menu that includes unlimited champagne and four full courses. The meal begins with a selection of fresh fruit followed by a salad of mixed field greens, choice of entree--eggs Benedict, angel hair pasta with scallops and fresh basil, half roast duck with Grand Marnier sauce, among others--and a special dessert. But there is a certain irony in spending Mother’s Day at Ann Marie’s: Ann Marie’s mother, chef Bridget Morahan, will be doing the cooking Sunday.

Gianni, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa (714) 540-3365. Brunch from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., $19.95 for adults, $10.50 for children.

Beneath the sweeping, sleek lines of Gianni, a Milano-modern trattoria in the stunning Crystal Court shopping area at South Coast Plaza, you will find some of the area’s best Italian cooking. The straightforward menu includes Contadina (peasant girl) salad, a choice of homemade pastas (which are first-rate), and either veal piccata with mushrooms or something called chicken Gianni, which has yet to be created--it should be ready by Sunday. The price also includes dessert but not, unfortunately, the restaurant’s excellent cappuccino. Each woman guest receives a special Mother’s Day gift of flowers, and if that doesn’t warm the collective heart, then the snazzy shops next to the restaurant are sure to.

Le Meridien Hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach (714) 476-2001. The Deauville Ballroom and Cafe Fleuri serve brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $30 per person. Antoine’s serves brunch from noon to 3 p.m, $25-$40 for two.

Should mother desire elegant dining in more European surroundings, Le Meridien, the French-owned hotel chain, features not one but three specialty brunches in its Newport Beach hotel. Cafe Fleuri serves a buffet called “chocolate souffle,” a lavish spread which, naturally, includes a souffle among 75 different items; you also get a souvenir photo of your party. The Deauville Ballroom serves up not just free photos but also the South Coast Symphony along with its luxury fare. Finally Antoine’s, perhaps the most highly praised of all local restaurants, is open for a special “gourmet brunch.”

Peppers, 12361 Chapman Ave., Plaza Alicante, Garden Grove (714) 740-1333. Brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $11.95 for adults, $5.95 for children.

If you are looking for a quiet afternoon, then Peppers is most emphatically not for you. But while I may not be anybody’s mother, this would be my pick on Sunday. Why? Because it is fun. Part singles hangout, part family restaurant, Peppers has one of the gaudiest buffets around, and Sunday should be even livelier than usual. Feed from the restaurant’s eight stations, which include an eggs Benedict station (of course), a Belgian waffles stop, a build-your-own-omelet bar, a fajitas bar, a fresh fruit and salad bar, shrimp and ceviche bar, an oyster and clam bar, and, take a deep breath, a hot fudge sundae bar. Magician Jason Alexander will be on hand to dazzle mom, and a barbershop quartet sings between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Royal Thai Cuisine, 4001 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, (714) 645-8424, and 1750 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (714) 494-8424. Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $8.95 per person.

If mother has a curious palate, Thai cuisine may be just the thing to satisfy it. Royal Thai Cuisine, one of the more comfortably appointed local Thai restaurants, serves a champagne brunch with Mother’s Day orchids (the symbol of the Thai royal family) for ladies in both its Orange County locations. The meal starts with katong tong , tiny pastry cups filled with curried beef and potato, and Thai chicken salad, shredded chicken on greens with a sweet, creamy dressing. Main dishes (choose one) vary from pork with mint leaves to the various Thai curries with coconut milk and abundant chili, or stir-fried chicken with baby corn.

Taj, 1975 Sunnycrest Drive, Fullerton (714) 526-8283. Brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, $11.95 for adults, children $7.95.

Indian cuisine is another interesting alternative. Some local Indian restaurants feature buffets every Sunday but Mother’s Day is special at the Taj--the restaurant plans to fill a 40-foot buffet table.The Taj, related by ownership to Newport’s Royal Khyber (which will be having its own princely spread), prepares dishes that represent many Indian regions. Indian salads will be in abundance, along with tava (grilled) and tandoori (cooked in a clay oven) dishes made from chicken, lamb, fish and shellfish. Curried vegetables, stuffed breads and stewed meats are also featured, along with a variety of unusual desserts.