Claes Seafood: Menu Lacking in Fish, but Sauces Compensate

* It’s Sunday, and there are so many crepes and omelets from which to choose. Here’s a sampler of Sunday Brunch destinations in Orange County, culled from recent articles. Other reviews can be accessed at https://www.calendarlive.com/go/discover.

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When I called for brunch reservations at the Claes Seafood restaurant in the Hotel Laguna in Laguna Beach, I was thinking bivalves and crustaceans. But it wasn’t to be. Despite the name and stunning location overlooking the Pacific, we found very few of our friends from the sea: only three salmon dishes--with eggs, potatoes or polenta. The usual egg dishes and meat entrees are well-represented. But what make them special are good sauces and interesting accompaniments: An herb coulis here, a fig compote there, a dill cream glaze that does wonders for the smoked salmon omelet, the fresh raspberries alongside a dessert.

Brunch comes with one main dish along with the buffet, which consists of French toast, pasta salads, fruit, California rolls, Belgian waffles and a small assortment of pastry and croissants. For an extra dollar you get either champagne or mimosas. The best main dishes are smoked salmon eggs Benedict served on a potato pancake with a lemony hollandaise; a moist roasted chicken breast stuffed with an herb, spinach and ricotta cheese mixture on yellow pepper coulis; and a crisp and flavorful vegetarian quesadilla.

At some places, vegetable side dishes are an afterthought, serving as little more than a garnish. But vegetable lovers consider this an important part of the plate. Here the tender strips of yellow squash, zucchini and carrots hold their own against the eggs and poultry. Vegetables also get respectful treatment in the quesadilla--crispy flour tortillas filled with mushrooms, marinated artichokes, onions, tomatoes, olives and cheese.

The desserts and specialty coffees are worth saving room for, however. The vanilla creme brulee is a rich custard topped with a blanket of brittle caramel. The ripe raspberries along the side could be dessert all by themselves. (Hey, chef, throw a few of these on the buffet table and perk up a tired fruit salad). The chilled Valencia orange souffle is an unexpected treat: a jolt of citrus accompanied by a terrific banana and fig compote.

Claes Seafood Etc., 425 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach (949) 376-9283. Sunday brunch served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. $18 for brunch with buffet; $8 for buffet only (for children 12 and younger); $20 for brunch with buffet and house champagne (J. Roget) or Mimosa.

Gustav’s Jagerhaus: Restaurant Takes Its German Food Seriously

You can tell that Gustav’s Jagerhaus in Anaheim is a no-frills, no-nonsense operation. The sign on the building simply says German Food. And come Sunday morning, they serve breakfast, not brunch. Ditto for the spry, white-haired waitress who made it quite clear there would be no funny business while taking orders. “No, we don’t have Bloody Mary’s. If we did, I’d be drinking them.” Some of the best German food in Orange County is served in this homely setting. For five generations, Gustav Riker’s family has cooked bratwurst, Wiener schnitzel, spaetzle and strudel for families hungry for authentic Old World cuisine.

The restaurant serves giant plates of German-style fruit pancakes covered in powdered sugar and meat-stuffed omelets with bratwurst or bacon on the side. Forget calorie counting; there are no light meals here. Guten Morgan begins with juice or fruit. Of the more than 30 choices, select the dishes served with crunchy hash browns, garlicky Polish sausage, lightly smoked knockwurst or spaetzle. Omelets come with various combinations of either Polish (mildly spicy) or bratwurst (finely ground, not smoked or spiced) sausage, onions and potatoes, vegetables and cheese.

Fried thinner and crispier than most flapjacks, German pancakes at Jagerhaus are doughy and almost chewy--the best I have ever tasted. You can choose cherry, raisin, apple, peach or lemon fillings, and skip the syrup.

Gustav’s Jagerhaus, 2525 E. Ball Road, Anaheim, (714) 520-9500. Sunday breakfast price range: $3.60 for French toast to $10.95 for eggs with New York steak. Sunday hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.