SILVIO: THE PLACE FOR PASTA BARGAINS

Sonny Bono has picked up and moved, lock, stock and special seasoning, to Palm Springs to devote his energies to his new restaurant in that desert town, which seems a more fitting setting for him, somehow, than the designer atmosphere of upper Melrose. Gone, too, is Bono’s Italianate green and white awning, and in its place, a chic white one.

Bono became Silvio a month ago, and word of mouth has already filled the parking lot with BMWs and Mercedeses disgorging long-legged blondes and William Morris agents.

“They’re here because they love a bargain. Where else in town can you get a decent half-order of pasta?” said my guest. Despite the fancy cars and Hollywood clientele, Silvio’s glitz is low-key. The place is accessible, relaxed, even homey, in an L.A. sort of way. Pleasant and airy--terra-cotta floors, palms and a thatched ceiling give an outdoor feel--it’s mercifully quiet enough for conversation without being deadly quiet, tables private, but not isolated, the pace gracious enough (so far, at least) to make you feel that the table is yours for as long as you want it, with time to see you through several light courses.

Faced with six photocopy pages offering clean, light L.A. fare--plenty of interesting pastas and fresh fish dishes (including, that night, fish Silvio himself had caught off Santa Barbara the day before), summery salads and soups, plus veal chops with sage, lamb chops with rosemary--we couldn’t decide. No matter. We felt our way through the meal, ordering as we went, the waiter patient, helpful and solicitous throughout.

First, a garlicky dish of chopped herbed tomatoes and crunchy bread cubes in olive oil (on the house), plus fresh, chewy bread and good butter. Then, a shared plate of vegetables from the grill (plenty for two), a colorful array of marinated eggplant and mushrooms, baby yellow summer squash and red tomato, pale green fennel, purple radicchio and green scallions. A wonderful idea, grilled vegetables. Next, bell-pepper soup: thick, brick-red intense liquid essence of roasted peppers, piping hot. Then, a scrumptious pasta dish--spaghetti with Gorgonzola and tomato sauce--satisfyingly rich.

Next came orata, an Italian white fish, fresh and perfectly poached in wine and a fine chop of vegetables and herbs; and roast chicken, which was nicely greasy, crisp, moist and plentiful. Somehow, we managed dessert--a fruit tart and a wedge of tarte tatin served with deliciously dense whipped cream, both excellent.

That night, it seemed that we in ordering and the restaurant in cooking could do no wrong, but on another visit, there were disappointments: risotto parmigiana that was a goopy mess, veal paillard that had been pounded to death, caramel custard that was tired. To the restaurant’s credit, however, when the waiter saw me picking at the risotto instead of gobbling it up, he offered a replacement. Unfortunately, the rigotoni with pesto was only slightly less disappointing, neither nutty nor oily or basil-y enough.

Comparison to Pane Caldo is inevitable, since Silvio was part owner of that restaurant, and the new digs suffers somewhat from the comparison to that place and Celestino, another similar one. The food just doesn’t yet seem to have their snap and polish and quality. But despite this, I’ll probably go to Silvio very often anyway, because it’s not just a restaurant. It is, already, a place.

Silvio, 8478 Melrose Ave. (213) 651-1842. All major credit cards accepted. Full bar. Open for lunch Mondays-Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; for dinner, Mondays-Thursdays, 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 6 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sundays, 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.. Dinner for two, food only, $35-60.