HOLIDAY DINING : Thanksgiving Inside, Out

First you make out the yard-long Thanksgiving shopping list. Then you buy, cook and serve the dinner. And when everyone’s fat and happy, comes the greasy cleanup.

If that doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun, some Orange County eateries offer alternatives: Dine with them, or let them prepare your feast to take home. Here are just a few of the choices:

SERVING DINNER All creatures great and small will benefit for the fifth year from the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter and RUFF (Rescuing Unwanted Furry Friends) at June Neptune’s Tivoli Terrace in Laguna Beach. Seatings will be at noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. for the five-course dinner, which includes turkey, spinach souffle, Waldorf salad and pumpkin pie. There will be vegetarian meals as well. The cost is $18.50, almost all of which goes to the shelter, thanks to donations from Cisco and Ferguson Poultry purveyors and shelter volunteers serving the tables. 650 Laguna Canyon Road (on the grounds of the Festival of the Arts). (714) 494-9650.

Bistro 201 will offer one of the broader menus, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with such entrees as turkey with corn-bread pine-nut stuffing, and salmon in potato crust with fresh basil sauce. And try to decide among the four desserts, including double Belgian chocolate souffle. $24.95 per person; children under 12, $12.95. 18201 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. (714) 553-9201.

Gustaf Anders will serve from noon to 9 p.m. Entree choices include roasted turkey with sweet potato gratin and creamed corn, venison with lingonberry truffle sauce, and poached salmon with dill Chardonnay sauce, garnished with golden caviar. $39 per person. 1651 Sunflower Ave. in South Coast Plaza Village, Santa Ana. (714) 668-1737.

For dinner overlooking Newport Marina, reserve a spot at John Dominis between 2 and 7 p.m. Entrees include turkey with trimmings, honey-glazed ham and roast duck. $26.95 for adults, $14.95 for children 12 and under. 2901 W. Coast Highway, Newport. (714) 650-5112.

At Chanteclair, chef Byron Gemmell plans an appetizer of smoked meats with honey mustard sauce, and holiday greens with apples, oranges and walnuts or corn puree soup. Besides turkey, entree choices include roast goose with dried cherry sauce and roasted pork loin stuffed with apples, raisins and almonds with a honey glaze. $18 per person, $9.50 for children under 12. 18912 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine. (714) 752-8001.

In Lake Forest, Mon Chateau will serve a four-course dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with entree choices of turkey, prime rib, honey-baked ham and salmon with lobster sauce. And you’re welcome to second helpings. $21.95; half price for children under age 12. 23642 El Toro Road. (714) 830-3810.

Thanksgiving at Mr. Stox means dinners with a choice of turkey, ham, swordfish or prime rib, served from 1 to 8 p.m. $17.95 for adults, $9.95 for children under 12. 1105 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim.

As usual, a number of hotel restaurants will serve Thanksgiving dinners. Among them: the Anaheim Marriott, offering a choice of family-style meal or wine dinner; call (714) 750-8000, Ext. 5210; the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, where Disney characters will dress as pilgrims and Indians, at (714) 956-6413; the Ritz at (714) 720-1800, and a champagne buffet at the Dana Point Resort, (714) 661-5000. And for dinner surf side, there is Claes in the Hotel Laguna at (714) 494-1151.

Le Meridien makes its meal a brunch with a buffet in Cafe Fleuri from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at which eggs Benedict and made-to-order omelets will join the turkey and fixins. $26 per adult, $17 for children ages 6 to 12. 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. (714) 476-2001, Ext. 2194.

MEALS TO GO At Trees in Corona del Mar, chef Russell Armstrong will prepare organically grown free-range California turkeys of three different sizes. A complete dinner including 14- to 15-pound bird (serving 15) is $125; 16- to 18-pound serves 18 for $150; 20- to 22-pound serves 22 for $175. Dinners include corn bread stuffing, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, smothered peas, dinner rolls, butter and sweets. Order 48 hours in advance and pick up between noon and 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. 440 Heliotrope Ave., Corona del Mar. (714) 673-0910.

Once again Praveen and Geeta Bansal will offer their tandoori turkey dinner, this time available at the new Bombay Duck in Laguna Beach as well as at the Clay Oven in Irvine. For $34.95 you take home an eight- to 10-pound turkey that is skinned, all visible fat removed before marinating in yogurt and spices, then cooked in the mesquite-fired tandoor oven. It comes with basmati rice with vegetables and nuts and cranberry chutney. Serves six or more. Order by Tuesday, pick up between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Clay Oven, 15435 Jeffrey Road, Irvine, (714) 552-2851. Bombay Duck, 231 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach, (714) 497-7307.

Or for Thanksgiving with a Southwestern twist, order from El Torito Grill in Costa Mesa. They honey roast the turkey, baste it with apple-thyme glaze and prepare corn bread-pecan stuffing. Accompaniments: fresh vegetable relish tray and dip, blue and yellow corn chips with two salsas, romaine salad, whole grain jalapeno corn bread, traditional gravy, pepper cranberry sauce, beans with almonds, baked yams, and mashed potatoes with sauteed apples. A bonus: mole poblano , a dark, spicy sauce of Aztec origin--great for hot turkey or leftovers. Pumpkin and sweet potato pies finish the feast, which feeds 10 to 12 and costs $130 plus tax. Orders taken through Tuesday; pick up between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving. 633 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 662-2672.

The Golden Truffle lets you savor the aroma of the turkey roasting by supplying a raw but oven-ready Shelton Farm turkey (10 to 12 pounds) with apricot stuffing and natural giblet gravy. Accompaniments: corn chowder, mixed winter field greens with poached pears and walnut Gorgonzola vinaigrette, wild rice timbales, green beans with slivered almonds and cranberry sour apple chutney. Order by Monday and pick up by 5 p.m. Wednesday. 1767 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 645-9858.