Orange Hill: All About Choices

Orange Hill must be doing something right. Each Sunday, crowds flock to this hilltop restaurant overlooking the horse trails and tract houses of east Orange.

A footbridge over a koi pond leads to the slightly dated, continental-style establishment that has been a popular steaks and chops destination for 30 years. In this hilly neighborhood, it is an institution as venerable as the community’s equestrian identity.

Sunday brunch at Orange Hill is a big deal. Couples get dressed up and bring the kids to the huge buffet of more than 100 items. It is a whopper, indeed.

Orange Hill recalls restaurants of bygone days when heavy silverware and linen tablecloths were standard. It’s the kind of place that years ago might have offered finger bowls instead of moist towelettes. Giant leather menus feature such old-fashioned favorites as vichyssoise and oysters Rockefeller.

Southern California does not have a lot of traditional restaurants that specialize in continental cuisine and quaint traditions, which is why Orange Hill is always crowded. Many aging boomers yearn for the kind of place they remember from their childhoods--where they first learned to place folded napkins in their laps and to allow the waiter to brush the crumbs away before dessert.

Orange Hill’s old-time charm works well for dinner but loses a bit in the translation to brunch. For one thing, there simply isn’t enough room surrounding the buffet tables to feel comfortable. The lines that snake around the room require impolite elbowing to survive the ordeal.

Another problem: Although the buffet gets high marks for quantity and variety, many of the dishes suffer from extended sentences in the steam tubs. It’s asking too much of a lamb riblet to endure these conditions.

On the other hand, with 100 items, you are sure to find many dishes that can hold up under difficult circumstances. My favorite method of avoiding steam table dangers is to load up on seafood.

Orange Hill does a great job with fresh and fat crab legs, boiled shrimp, steamed mussels and raw oysters. Smoked fish--with cream cheese, capers and onions--makes a fine bagel brunch. These can be enjoyed with several cold pasta casseroles or a Caesar salad.

The eggs Benedict are also good, although how the poached eggs stay soft and the English muffin stays crisp is beyond me. These egg dishes are served in a section with French toast--which was delicious but cold. There’s also bacon, sausage and various omelets, which are made to order from a wide variety of ingredients.

Several entrees of hot meat and vegetables are available in the middle of the buffet. About half of these items can be recommended: the beef in wine sauce was tasty and tender, and the roasted potatoes and vegetables were delicious. The chicken and lamb, however, were dry and overcooked.

A pleasant twist to this brunch is the stir fry section that offers California rolls--made while you watch--of salmon and crab. The stir-fry dish of noodles with broccoli and chicken was a hit with the youngsters in our group.

But an even bigger hit came later when we muscled our way into the throng around the dessert table. Selections for mature diners included a huge assortment of delicious cakes and custards.

The make-your-own sundaes, however, brought out the kid in all of us as we competed for tallest ice cream tower. These can be topped with malted milk balls, chocolate chips and other candies.

It was a shameless waste of ice cream and sprinkles but we had a great time. The dessert table alone is almost worth the price of admission. A whopper indeed.

* Orange Hill Restaurant, 6410 E. Chapman Ave. (949) 997-2910. $22.95 for adults with unlimited champagne; $14.95 for children 4 to 11. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.