For Somebunny, a Bunch of Brunch Beats a Bunch of Carrots

Easter brunch buffets are proliferating like bunnies. And bunnies are attending many of them.

Jim Gamble Marionettes present “Peter Cottontail & Co.,” featuring a magician rabbit narrator and fuzzy puppet rabbits, chickens and ducks and even Easter eggs that come to life, Easter Sunday at Cafe Fleuri. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; performances at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Gazebo Garden. The cost is $38 plus tax and tip, $14 for children 5 to 12.

On the guest list at “Roger Rabbit’s Easter Buffet and Egg Scramble” at Disneyland Hotel are Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny, the ever-late White Rabbit and Roger Rabbit himself. The buffet is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the scramble is a candy hunt for kids. It’s $37.50 for adults, $13.50 for ages 3 to 11, $4 for 2 and under, not including tax or tip.

The Easter Bunny will be handing out candy to kids from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Orange County Mining Co. There’ll be real food, too: prime rib, crab legs on ice and design-your-own fajitas. Adults, $18.95, includes sparkling wine but not tax or tip; 12 and under, $6.95.

Amazingly, E. Bunny will also be giving away Easter eggs over at the Atrium Marquis Hotel. From 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., traditional omelet and carving stations will be offered alongside a Mexican buffet and assorted cheesecakes. Adults, $19.95 plus tax and tip; under 12, $10.95.

It’s brunch by land and dessert by sea on the Cannery’s “Easter Dine & Cruise.” Seatings are at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m.; entrees (choose one) include half a dozen “Benes” (such as salmon Benedict and Bene ranchero), carne asada and swordfish tomatillo. Each seating is followed by a one-hour harbor cruise and dessert. Adults, $25 all-inclusive; children 12 and under, $15.

You might see that boat go by from John Dominis or Bistro 201; both overlook Newport Bay. Bistro 201, which recently added lunch service, inaugurates Sunday brunches on Easter Sunday. It’s an a la carte menu with items ranging from $4.50 to $12.95. Perhaps in homage to the Easter egg, dishes include smoked salmon and egg pizza, and baked eggs with spicy chicken sausage and raclette cheese. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; live jazz starts at noon.

In addition to standard brunch offerings such as Belgian waffles and made-to-order pastas and omelets, John Dominis offers peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, a sushi station and fruits with Belgian chocolate for dipping. It’s $23.95 with sparkling wine, $19.95 without (not including tax or tip). Seatings are at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Limited bluff-top garden seating at Dana Point Resort’s Watercolors Restaurant boasts a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and Dana Point Harbor. (And the Easter Bunny will be there, too!) From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the champagne buffet includes scallop and shrimp crepes, and charred rib-eye steaks with scallion and ginger. Adults, $38 plus tax or tip; under 12, $18.

They celebrate Easter in Europe too, you know. It’s called Pasqua in Italy, and at two local Italian restaurants, lavish Pasqua brunches will be served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

At Prego Ristorante, the buffet ($19.95 for adults excluding tax and tip, $10.95 for children under 12) includes involtini di melanzane (eggplant stuffed with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes) and salcicca alla griglia (grilled Italian sausages with bell peppers) .

At Tutto Mare, there’s trittico di pesce affumicato (apple-smoked trout, halibut and sturgeon) and petto di pollo in salsa di bacche e Amaretti (grilled double breast of chicken with wild berries and Amaretto sauce); adults, $17.50 without tax or tip; ages 7 to 12, $9.95.

Gustaf Anders offers a Scandinavian Easter buffet all weekend, Friday through Sunday. It’s $29 per person at lunch (Friday and Saturday, 11:30 to 2 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5), $39 at dinner (Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.), without tax or tip. The smorgasbord includes pickled arctic char and a variety of herrings.

Back to American fare with a flair, Westin South Coast Plaza adds a caviar station as a prelude to entrees such as leg of lamb with garlic rosemary sauce, stuffed veal loin in a pink peppercorn crust, and duck with raspberry sauce. Adults, $30 without tax and tip; children 6 to 12, $15; under 5, free. No rabbit, but there will be a live pianist.

Bistro 201, 3333 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. (714) 631-1551.

Cafe Fleuri, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. (714) 476-2001.

The Cannery, 3010 Lafayette Ave., Newport Beach. (714) 675-5777.

Disneyland Hotel, 1150 W. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim. (714) 956-6413.

Gustaf Anders, 1651 Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 668-1737.

John Dominis, 2901 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. (714) 650-5112.

Orange County Mining Co., 10000 Crawford Canyon Road, Santa Ana. (714) 997-7411.

Prego Ristorante, 18420 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. (714) 553-1333.

Tutto Mare, 545 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (714) 640-6333.

Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 662-6694.