RESTAURANT REVIEW : A Good Turn on Mediterranean Rustic at the Great Greek

It looks as if rustic Mediterranean cooking will be the cuisine as we go into the ‘90s. This refreshingly sauceless, grill-oriented cooking already has its bistro venue, Indigo, on 3rd Street, and its haute venue, Campanile, on La Brea Boulevard.

Although the sources of rustic cooking are to be found on distant shores, you can track them down locally at the Great Greek Cafe in Sherman Oaks.

Greek cooking, of course, involves more than grilling, but the Great Greek’s grilled dishes are especially good. Their grilled meats and seafood have the fresh, direct flavor that characterizes the best traditional Mediterranean home-style cooking.

The Great Greek takes the basic ingredients of successful rustic cooking--good-quality meat and fish, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs--and uses them well. Large pieces of tender octopus, for instance, with a streak of herbs charred into them, were perfumed with olive oil and lemon juice and complemented by grilled scallions and olives (yes, warm marinated olives are good). You wonder why it took so long for this kind of cooking to be adapted for the new American cuisine.

Other appealing grills included slices of savory sausage touched with what tasted like cinnamon (enough just to tantalize, but not enough to be cloying), grilled cubes of beef with raw onion (less interesting), shrimp grilled with feta cheese (unusual but not peculiar), and grilled skewers of swordfish (well-seasoned, but slightly overcooked).

The best of the meats was a rack of baby lamb. The eight or so chops were small but meaty and superbly prepared. Their flavor and tenderness, the deft seasoning and quick cooking at a high temperature made for a genuinely satisfying experience.

Right up there with the rack of lamb was the roasted chicken Plaka. The meat was so moist and suffused with garlic and other flavorings that it seemed to have been marinated in seasoned milk, although I doubt that it was. In addition, the chicken had been roasted long enough to be so fully cooked that the meat was separating from the bones. I don’t know whether I liked the chicken or the accompanying dilled carrots more--an excellent combination.

Listed among the hot appetizers is horta, a refreshing steamed escarole with lemon and olive oil, offered hot or cold. I recommend it as an extra vegetable, preferably cold.

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Portions at the Great Greek are too large for all but those who have been herding sheep all day. Since many of the dishes are worth enjoying, order inventively if you are in a party of at least four: two Deluxe Dinners, which includes six appetizers, five hot appetizers and three meat dishes, or the Great Greek Dinner, whose four additional dishes include grilled shrimp and skewered fish.

The portions on these dinners are smaller than a la carte portions, but there will still be plenty to share with the others, who should order some of the full-sized entrees described earlier, most of which are not part of the set dinner.

On our outing, not all parts of the dinner were equally exciting, but they were at least very good. Favorites included an invigorating tzatziki (yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, herbs) and an airy spanakopita (spinach pie). Although the fried calamari were fresh and tender, they weren’t tasty. The tabouli was so crisp and green it could have been made moments before being served, but it was so parsley-laden that it lacked this Middle Eastern salad’s characteristic zip.

The wine list contained a few Greek, French and California bottlings at prices that raise the cost of a meal beyond what it should be.

Among the desserts was an outstanding baklava--rich in nuts but blessedly lacking the gooey sweetness it most often exudes. Sliced oranges with Grand Marnier sounded as if it would be a refreshing cap to the meal, but it wasn’t.

The atmosphere at the Great Greek is a great asset and a great liability. Although done up in the style of a town square or seaside cafe, it’s not offensively touristy. The framed pictures and posters--some quite old--give the room a sense of having been added to over many years.

This is comforting, as is the general sense of holiday cheerfulness. The periodic passing of waiters and customers line-dancing by your table is not unpleasant, even when it means your otherwise attentive waiter is unavailable for a few minutes.

What is unpleasant is the amplified live music that is appropriate for dancing but not for conversation. If you want to avoid loud music with your meals, your only choice is to leave by 7 p.m., when it starts. That way you can treat yourself to an uncommonly good Greek meal, paying attention to what you are eating and what your companions are saying.

Recommended dishes: Char-grilled octopus, $7.95; horta, $3.50; chicken Plaka, $11.95; rack of baby lamb, $19.95.

The Great Greek, 13362 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. (818) 905-5250. Open daily: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays , 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Full bar. Valet parking. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $22 to $35.