The following are summaries of recent Times...

The following are summaries of recent Times restaurant reviews by Max jacobson. Prices are based on average cost for a party of two without wine. $--less than $15 $$--$15 to $39 $$$--$40 to $75 $$$$--More than $75

AMERICAN

* Crocodile Cafe, Brea Marketplace, 975 E. Birch St., Brea. (714) 529-2233. Open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; weekends to 11 p.m. $$ Greg Smith is doing more than just promoting the new American cuisine; he’s making it into a populist movement at this small, laughably inexpensive cafe. Enjoy wonderful hamburgers grilled over smoking embers of oak, wood-fired pizzas with designer toppings, and trendy homemade pastas like fettuccine with roasted Pasilla chili. Sip wines while sitting under the 30-foot vinyl crocodile. You can bet your Beamer that this restaurant is a good value.

* Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park. (714) 220-5080. Open daily, except Christmas, 7 a.m to 10 p.m. $$ * Disneyland, 1313 N. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim. (714) 999-4565. Hours vary. $$ Between them, Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland feed more mouths than any local restaurant ever could hope to, yet their food concessions get surprisingly little notice. With regard to Disneyland, it’s not surprising: You are a captive audience there and the food is mediocre at best. Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant fares much better. You don’t even have to enter the park to eat there. For $7.95, hungry families can get individual dinners consisting of a rhubarb appetizer, a mixed green salad, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and country gravy, fresh cabbage seasoned with ham, buttermilk biscuits and a choice of pie. Take that, Mickey!

* The Original Pancake House, 1418 E. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim. (714) 693-1390. Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. $ The Original Pancake House is one of the very best restaurants in Orange County. Just ask anyone who has eaten there. All the batters are made with sourdough yeast and come straight from the grill--light, finely textured, and complex. The Belgian waffles are eggy and crispy, and the apple pancake, a giant golden puff with a cinnamon glaze topping, is one step away from nirvana.

* Revere House, 900 W. 1st St., Tustin. (714) 543-9319. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. $$ Revere House is one of those dark, woody dinner houses that were popular during the ‘50s, and guess what: That’s when the place opened. It specializes in credible versions of plain old American food--prime rib, pan-fried chicken, turkey with all the trimmings--all churned out with dependable regularity. The menu is enormous and portions are Protean. All entrees come with a choice of Caesar or spinach salad. Desserts are the one weak spot, except for the tapioca pudding you get for free.

CHINESE

* Dynasty, 9200 Bolsa Ave., No. 215, Westminster. (714) 898-3189. Open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., weekends from 9 a.m. $$ A vast Hong Kong-style restaurant in a Little Saigon shopping mall, Dynasty is beginning to strut its stuff. The dining room is now in the hands of the capable Tony Lai, a Chinese foodie with Beverly Hills in his resume, and both food and service have taken a sharp upturn. Black pepper beef brisket from the Page 1 specials menu is extraordinary, and don’t miss the first rate kung pao dishes, sand dabs with spicy salt, or soy sauce squab. On a menu with 150 entrees, there is much to choose from.

* Shan-Li Palace, 5634 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. (714) 779-1410. Open Mondays through Thursdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 10:30 p.m. $ This Mandarin-style Chinese restaurant is further proof that gentrification is spreading like a brush fire. It is nestled snugly in the Anaheim Hills not far from the Riverside County line. A few years back, you couldn’t have found a hamburger stand in these parts. Order the steamed dumplings, despite the fact that the waiter may try to discourage you. They are wonderful. Spinach bean curd soup tastes as fresh as if the spinach came from out back. Twice-cooked pork is fiery and colorful. Moo-shu dishes (minced meats and veggies rolled up burrito-style) are terrific.

CONTINENTAL

* The Golden Truffle, 1767 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 645-9858. Open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Tuesdays through Thursdays from 6 to 9:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 10 p.m. $$$ The Golden Truffle is an eccentric restaurant with an eclectic menu that defies rhythm or logic. Chef Alan Greeley is whimsical; he cooks for the sheer pleasure of it, and it mostly tastes terrific. Bay shrimp cocktail Yucatan is like a combination gazpacho-ceviche , with tiny shrimp and chunky pieces of avocado, immobilized in a thick, tangy puree of tomato and chili. Broiled marinated skirt steak with pinto beans and cactus is a triumph. Nothing else on the menu will prepare you for it. There is a wide selection of premium wines and bistro-like desserts. The ambiance is relaxed and casual.

* Hastings, in the Anaheim Hilton and Towers, 777 Convention Way, Anaheim. (714) 750-4321. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Mondays through Saturdays from 6 to 10:30 p.m . $$$ Hastings has good food for a hotel restaurant but other aspects of dining there can be annoying; service is particularly spotty and indifferent. The room is predictably clubby with the predictable hotel creature comforts. The menu features a sumptuous lobster ravioli appetizer, a fine seafood Caesar salad, and some highly credible entrees, among them filet mignon that melts in the mouth and a great veal. Seafoods are done handsomely. The wine list is extensive and intelligent.

* Morell’s, in the Irvine Hilton, 17900 Jamboree Road, Irvine. (714) 863-3111. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily except Sundays from 6 to 10 p.m. $$$ Morell’s is one hotel restaurant making an obvious effort to keep up with the times, but one still comes away with the impression that institutional practices die hard. It’s a quietly elegant room done up in various shades of pink, and there is a formal quality to the service. Appetizers such as sweetbreads and smoked salmon are among the strong suits. Desserts are visual stunners. The basically sound main dishes suffer occasionally from a desire to impress.

* Sorrento Grill, 370 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach. (714) 494-8686. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 and from 5:30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.; Sundays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. $$$ Sorrento Grill is one of the best new restaurants around, a virtual lock for local stardom. The restaurant is a high-concept operation and it pushes all the right buttons: a stunningly designed open kitchen, postmodern vastness and a decibel level even Phillip Glass would object to. The food is wonderful. Young, innovative chef Roseanne Ruiz uses the finest ingredients, Chino ranch vegetables, carefully selected poultry and fish, and she prepares them with the finest olive oil and utmost care. Desserts like an amazing creme brulee are brutally rich. Expect lines and unbridled enthusiasm.

FRENCH

* The Pleasant Peasant, 4251 Martingale Way, Newport Beach. (714) 955-2755. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Mondays through Thursdays from 5:30 to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 10. $$

* La Brasserie, 202 S. Main St., Orange. (714) 978-6161. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Mondays through Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. $$$ Country French cuisine has a huge audience, but many of the restaurants advertising it end up serving much fancier dishes instead. (They can charge more that way.) The Pleasant Peasant is reasonably priced, with both soup and salad included in the prices of main courses. Stick to lamb and anything without sauce here. La Brasserie is a lot pricier but also considerably more accomplished. The coq au vin rouge is terrific, as is a wonderful homemade chicken liver mousse in aspic. Good desserts and plenty of romance here, too.

* La Vie en Rose, 240 S. State College Blvd., Brea. (714) 529-8333. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 to 10 p.m. $$$ La Vie en Rose is supposed to be fashioned after a Normandy farmhouse, but the building is a masterpiece in kitsch; it looks like a swap meet replica of the Mont-St-Michel abbey. Luckily, the food is good. Spinach salad sizzles with natural flavor. Salad perigourdine (a simple dish of mixed greens with slices of preserved duck and a heady garlic dressing), makes a terrific lunch. Fish is prepared with delicacy. The veal chop is wonderful. Service is flawless and attentive. The only major drawback is the noise level, which befits, well, a swap meet. Moderately expensive.

* Voila Bistro and Grill, 16871 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach. (714) 841-1166. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m., Sundays from 4:30 to 9 p.m. $$$ A new local dining spot, Voila Bistro and Grill is a surprising find indeed, a combination of Paris casual and Huntington Beach chic. Chef Rochelle Robinson turns a brilliant onion soup--a bistro classic--and does fine braised duck and lamb dishes. Dessert souffles such as chocolate and lemon are on the varied menu, and given proper notice the chef will even make a cheese souffle. Salads, pizzas and a respectable little wine list fill things out nicely.

INDIAN

* The Clay Oven, 15435 Jeffrey Road, Irvine. (714) 552-2851. Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. $$$ The Clay Oven is an Indian restaurant inauspiciously located in a country shopping mall and specializing in dishes from the tandoor, the authentic oven advertised by the restaurant’s name. Fish tikka , here made with chunks of broiled swordfish, is downright heavenly, and tandoori chicken, rubbed red with a spice mixture and broiled until sizzling, is another winner. There is an interesting selection of vegetable dishes, as well. Wash everything down with giant bottles of imported Indian beer and lament the fact that most of the really exotic specialties you see displayed on the menu won’t be available.

INDONESIAN

* Dewi, 1762 N. Tustin Ave., Orange. (714) 637-1101. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. $ Hurry over--while there is still time--to Dewi, a small Indonesian restaurant/grocery store hidden among commercial properties along a busy avenue in Orange. Nasi rames is a mixed rice plate with a whole cookbook full of Indonesian goodies, and the restaurant has fabulous barbecued chicken and hot stewed beef dishes. Owner Edith Vredevoogd is constantly preparing little snacks like lemper (a sticky rice roll filled with minced chicken) or cendol (mysterious green bits taken with crushed ice, syrup and jackfruit). Don’t despair if you miss the restaurant, though. There is a second Dewi run by Mrs. V’s brother in Huntington Beach. Exotica at its best.

ITALIAN

* Capriccio Italiano Ristorante, Village Mall, 25380 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. (714) 855-6866. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 4 to 9:30 p.m.; weekends from 4 to 10 p.m. $$ Capriccio may mean “whim” in Italian, but there is nothing whimsical about the food in this restaurant; it is polished and sophisticated. For my money, it is a real find. The kitchen is run by two brothers from Palermo, Sal and Franco Maniaci, but there is barely a trace of Sicilian influence in the dishes they serve. Appetizers like vitello tonnato and lumache del bosco are marvelous, and pastas are fresh and homemade. Many main dishes have French overtones, like a stylish lamb rack with truffles and foie gras , or a civet of hare called lepre salmi . Cappriccio’s location is modest, and so are prices, but its class is obvious.

* Ciao, 1730 E. 17th St., Santa Ana. (714) 972-3101. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. $$ Ciao is one of those indistinct little neighborhood restaurants you can drive by 100 times without noticing, but it happens to be an exceptional one. Bina Crivello, a Sicilian mater familias who runs the restaurant with the help of her five sons, makes most of the food herself: crusty pizzas, earthy pastas, and a good rich tomato sauce to go with them. Bring a hefty appetite and leave room for the excellent tiramisu --intense, mocha rich, and drooling mascarpone cheese.

JAPANESE

* Kitayama, 101 Bayview Place, Newport Beach . (714) 725-0777. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 to 10:30; Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. $$ Kitayama, the first really serious Japanese restaurant in Orange County, is an exquisite addition to the local dining scene. You’ll think you’ve wandered into a Buddhist temple--until you taste the delicate, sophisticated cooking of Yoshio Shirai and his team of chefs. The sho-ka-do lunch is the most beautiful $14 meal anywhere, and the omakase kaiseki, a multicourse feast at $50 per person, is unforgettable.

* Umi, 2075 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 631-2208. Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 11 p.m. $$ Umi is a modern and imaginative but often unprofessional sushi bar with high-tech pretensions, and knowing what to order is important. You are safe if you stick with the sushi, which is fresh and crafted with an excellently prepared rice, but it is easy to run aground on the many hot dishes. Among the best are a wonderful scallop casserole, a toothsome Japanese steak, and yaki-onigiri (grilled triangles of sushi rice with various fillings). Service can be painfully slow.

LEBANESE

* Hassan’s Cafe, 3325 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach. (714) 675-4668. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5:30 to 11; Sundays from 5:30 to 10 p.m. $$ Hassan’s Cafe specializes in the cuisine of Lebanon--a hybrid of Turkish, French and local influences--and the restaurant is relaxing and exotic. Mazza, one of the world’s great noshes, is the absolute must here, a splendid array of Middle Eastern appetizers such as mutebel , a smoky eggplant dip, and warrab ennaq , vine leaves stuffed with aromatic rice. There are interesting main dishes such as kibbe nayya , raw ground lamb mixed with bulgur wheat, sort of an Arabic version of steak tartare. Kebabs are first-rate.

MEXICAN

* Caliente, 1910 Main St., Irvine. (714) 975-1220. Open seven days, 11 a.m. to midnight. $$ Caliente is Spanish for hot, and that is exactly what this stylish new restaurant is. It’s the latest jewel in the El Torito crown, and its modest adobe exterior conceals a stunning design--a faint red ‘80s-chic motif complete with dramatic lighting, an open kitchen and a comal (a high-tech version of a stone tortilla cooker). The restaurant smokes its own meats, and you can wash them down with premium margaritas made from vintage tequila. Desserts, such as burnt cream and apple crisp, are wonderful.

* Kachina, 222 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. (714) 497-5546. Open nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. $$$ Kachina is new, but it already may be the county’s best restaurant. Named for Hopi Indian dolls that represent spirits, the restaurant serves food that is rare and exotic--edible art. David Wilhelm, late of Pave and the El Torito Grill, has composed a menu featuring some of the most imaginative, intelligent cooking this side of the Twilight Zone, full of sumptuous tastes and color-splashed textures. Run, don’t walk, to taste the green corn tamale, honey-glazed pork and celestial chocolate bread pudding. And go early.

SEAFOOD

* Los Alamitos Fish Company, 11061 Los Alamitos Blvd., Los Alamitos. (213) 594-4553. Open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 11 p.m. $$$

Order mesquite broiled fish from the restaurant’s giant circular grill, or enjoy a brace of other dishes such as steamed Dungeness crab, smoked albacore tuna or simply flavored steamers, all of which go beautifully with the restaurant’s standout sourdough bread. Desserts are all homemade. The best of them are a superior blackout cake and a soft, tart lemon mousse pie.

THAI

* Mongkut Thai, 212 Avenida del Mar, San Clemente. (714) 492-3871. 31976 Coast Highway, South Laguna. (714) 499-2100. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; nightly 5 to 10 p.m. $ Besides being one of the current nicknames for Thailand, “Land of Smiles” could also describe the type of service you can expect at the often exotic, occasionally bland Mongkut Thai restaurants. Here, smiles often substitute for intelligible English. Dishes get flowery names such as Glittering Coastal Onyx (sauced calamari) or Garnet Ocean Field (crab fried rice) on one of the most unusually written menus anywhere. And they can be blisteringly hot. The mussuman (beef) curry and the oily, flavorless chicken curry tend to disappoint, but most of the fare is exuberant and flavorful.

THEME DINNERS

* 1520 AD, 821 S. Beach Blvd., Anaheim. (714) 995-5464. Seatings Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. $$$ The food at 1520 AD may not be authentic Tudor, but who cares. When you eat with your fingers, everything tastes better. The opening course at this re-creation of a Merrie Olde England roadhouse is a hearty lentil barley soup, drunk from large draughts and eaten with hunks of brown bread. There is a choice of four entrees: slow-cooked chicken, lamb shank in a white sauce, steak kabob and a most modern filet of halibut with a heathen Spanish sauce on top. The abundant platters of rice and vegetables, the fine, lemony pound cake and the bottomless mugs of ice cold beer make for a dinner that King Henry himself would have enjoyed.

VIETNAMESE

* Places Afar, 25932 Muirlands Blvd . , Mission Viejo. (714) 581-4200. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Mondays through Thursdays from 5 to 9; Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. $$

* Calesa, 2106 N. Tustin Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 541-6585. Open daily except Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 10 p.m. $$ Places Afar is your basic Cuban-French-Vietnamese restaurant; the English is circumspect, the cooking is spectacular. Start with Cuban ham croquettes alongside greaseless plantain chips, or a bowlful of smoky black bean soup. Then try Imperial salad from Vietnam. Evenings, there are such French classics as couscous and choucroute . Calesa has a sign boasting “Round-the-World-Dining”--it’s a luxurious restaurant with Filipino, Asian and Continental specialties. There is a wide selection of main dishes from paella to sate , and cooking is often on the sweet side. Service is formal, and waiters in tuxedos flame desserts with enthusiasm that borders on lust.