The following are summaries of recent Times...

The following are summaries of recent Times restaurant reviews.

Al’s Steakhouse & Saloon, 16020 E. 1st St., Santa Ana . (714) 550-0847 . Open daily 5 to 10 p.m. (until 11 on weekends). Just as our waitress promised, there is “nothin’ fancy, just food” at this urban steakhouse that looks as if it belongs alongside one of those old highways made obsolete by the interstates. Appetizers are served on large, cast-iron skillets, and there is a giant relish tray with all meals. Salad dressings are homemade and include a very good Caesar and a thick, hearty ranch. Steaks can be tough, but non-steak items are terrific, like barbecued pork ribs, an entire slab, and lamb chops, six mini-chops marinated in garlic and flame broiled. Bionic baked potatoes and heaps of steamed veggies ride sidesaddle. Be hungry, or have a big dog waiting at home.

Anh Hong, 10195 Westminster Ave., Garden Grove. (714) 537-5230. Open Mondays through Thursdays 3 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Anh Hong is a Vietnamese restaurant for beef lovers only; the specialty is a seven-course beef dinner that would bring a trucker to his knees. You start with a flavorful beef salad topped with a sweet vinegar sauce and then experience a variety of courses ranging from fondue to grilled sausages wrapped in Hawaiian lot leaf. Service is warm and attentive, and the waiters will show how the various courses should be eaten. It is an encounter with Vietnamese culture as well as a culinary adventure. For $9.95, there is probably no greater value anywhere. Just make sure you go on an empty stomach.

Antonello, 3800 S. Plaza Drive, in the South Coast Plaza Village, Santa Ana. (714) 751-7153 . Open Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6 to 10 p.m.; Fridays 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6 to 11 p.m.; Saturdays, 6 to 11 p.m.

Expect to be treated with courtly attention at this charming restaurant, where the main dining room is a miniature of a street scene in Bistagna, Italy. But you’ll probably be disappointed by what you eat. Appetizers from a lavish antipasto bar suffer from a surfeit of oil, albeit the extra virgin type, and homemade pastas are sometimes tired and flavorless. Owner

Antonio Cagnolo has a wonderfully attentive staff and spares no expense for raw materials; veal chops are thick and tender, beef is superbly marbled. One would think that this restaurant would be superb, with so many pluses. But at present, it’s the classic underachiever.

Aurora Ristorante, 1341 S. Euclid St., Fullerton. (714) 738-0272. Open Mondays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays 5 to 10 p.m.

Aurora Ristorante looks as if it belongs in another age, with its tuxedoed waiters, a dimly pink ambiance and classic preparations too rich for the blood of the ‘80s. Chef-owner Leo Holczer has a taste for the traditional, but he tempers it with such exotic specials as alligator, buffalo and wild game birds. Pastas are rich and creamy, and there is a wonderful wine list with a wealth of vintage Italian reds. The music gets to be a bit much, though, particularly when a live organist is straining to be heard over a pianist playing for a private party in an adjoining banquet room.

Bangkok IV, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa. (714) 540-7661 . Open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (weekends until 10).

Now they have really done it. They have opened an upscale Thai restaurant in a shopping mall--South Coast Plaza’s Crystal Court. What next? Bangkok IV is operated by veteran Lucky Teachanarong, and his newest outing is a flat-out winner. Appetizers like taro todd , Balboa mussels, and Thai toasts are terrific, and main dishes like paht Thai (flat noodles pan-fried with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts) and pork with green beans in dry curry paste aren’t far behind. Food tends to be on the sweet side here, but the management will turn up the heat on request. Now you have been warned. There are even some excellent homemade desserts.

Eve ‘N Orleans, 1829 W. Katella, Anaheim. (714) 776-4022. Open Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays through Sundays, 5 to 9 p.m.

Eve ‘n Orleans is simply smashing, a delight for lovers of Cajun and Creole cuisine. Owner/chef Joyce Washington is from Lake Charles, La., and her menu abounds with regional specialties: spicy fried chicken, seafood gumbo, crawfish etoufee , and sweet potato pie. One taste of her smothered pork chops--fried pork in a country-style roux made from pepper, onion and secret spices--will make you beg for more. Red beans and rice are modestly sumptuous, and the homemade cole slaw is sweet and dreamy. A stop here is a must for anyone who thinks American regional cooking is just hype. Pure bliss, and cheap to boot.