Dear Old Dad Gets a Taste of Father’s Day

If they’ve done it before, nobody at the restaurant can remember when. The Ritz in Newport Beach is opening up for Father’s Day brunch. And what a lineup:

* Choice of eye-opening elixir, such as Bullshot or Ramos Fizz.

* The Ritz Carousel--a Lazy Susan laden with smoked salmon, tartare of filet mignon, duck liver pa^te, smoked trout, papaya filled with mixed fruit and more.

* Choice of entrees including crusty Maryland crab cakes with spicy remoulade; grilled calf’s liver with onion straws, smokehouse bacon and spoon-leaf spinach, or bouillabaisse pasta--linguine tossed with a fricassee of Maine lobster, scallops, shrimps, clams and mussels in a saffron broth. Eggs Benedict a la Ritz means the poached eggs and bearnaise sauce rest atop two grenadines of filet mignon on round sourdough croutons.

* Choice of desserts including profiterole sauced with hot Belgian chocolate.

The cost is $25 per person, which doesn’t include tax or gratuity but does include a $20 gift certificate for Dad for another lunch at the Ritz.

880 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (714) 720-1800.

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Homage to Dad at the Dunes starts with a champagne brunch buffet at Back Bay Cafe, complete with Belgian waffles, salad selections and a create-your-own omelet station.

But the fun at Newport Dunes Resort doesn’t have to end at the buffet table. Fathers and their families are also invited to the Dunes Family Olympics, beach festivities including a volleyball tournament, races through an obstacle course, a sandcastle competition and a visit by the resort’s mascot whale, Moe B. Dunes. (It’s a costume.)

Brunch, served between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., is $14.95 for adults, $7.95 for children under 10, without tax or tip. Barbecue items ($3 for hot dogs, $4.25 for hamburgers) will be available during the beach festivities, from noon until 3 p.m. It is not necessary to have brunch to participate in any of the other activities.

1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach. (714) 729-1144.

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For dads who are happiest manning the grill, Pascal Epicerie offers a Father’s Day BBQ Kit including marinated chicken breast, Hawaiian pork sausage and marinated swordfish, all pre-seasoned and ready to grill, as well as marinated Provencal vegetables, baby potatoes and olive tapenade .

It’s $12.50 per person, or $48 for a kit serving four, available for pickup on Saturday only.

1000 Bristol St., Newport Beach. (714) 261-9041.