RESTAURANT REVIEW : Jane’s Cucina: Familiar Pasta, Unusual Setting

Jane’s Cucina Italia is hard to figure. Recently renamed and reconceptualized, it used to be called Le Serene (in fact you still get the old restaurant’s matchbooks), and the decor is, well, nearly as unforgettable as Jane.

You enter through the hotel lobby of a ‘30s-looking structure known as the Safari Inn, then pass through a show-biz bar where mirrored walls are covered with pictures of celebrities from Woody Allen to Rex the Wonder Horse. As you pause to take a long look at just what you are in for, a sultry blonde bombshell in evening wear comes up and says “G’day.” Egad. Jane is an Aussie.

Tiny lights shimmer and twinkle on an opaque black ceiling and from endless rows of clear plastic rods that hang down by darkened windows. You sink into high-backed, plush red velvet booths and drink in a sultry air of mystery. Hard jazz plays softly over the speakers. It’s almost as if one of those private clubs where the monster at the door only lets you in if he approves of the way you are dressed. When food actually comes to the table, it’s almost a surprise.

From the mondo bizzarro decor, you’d expect to find food to match. No such luck. The chef, David Cecchini, is the son of the man who owns Genio’s, a big, conventional Italian haunt just down the street.

You might begin with his credible version of polenta parmigiana , a grilled square of cornmeal with eggplant, mozzarella and a thick marinara sauce, or by trying his fresh bufala mozzarella with olive oil, minced garlic and roasted peppers. And there are plenty of pizzas-- melanzane , with grilled eggplant and a good sausage, or Margherita, with basil and four cheeses. But you’d better be hungry. Most things come with soup (a slightly bland, beanless minestrone) or salad (a better choice with a stand-up vinaigrette), and portions are huge.

Cecchini makes a couple of pastas fresh daily. One day, he made a fresh tomato fettuccine a la Davide, his own recipe, with plum tomato, fresh mushrooms, lots of basil and chunked prosciutto; the whole thing was finished with an Alfredo sauce en casserole . The prosciutto was a nice touch and gave the dish real character.

Another day, I sampled canneloni , thick tubes of pasta stuffed with a meat mixture that reminded me of the premium-grade roast beef hash you get at places like the Pacific Dining Car or the Grill. It didn’t taste particularly Italian, but I didn’t mind.

Other pastas were less experimental, but no less good. Cecchini cooks all of his pastas al dente , and most of his sauces are appealing. The Alfredo and pesto are on the heavy side, but tasty. Aglio e funghi, garlic and mushroom in a butter sauce, is simple and satisfying, with really big slices of mushrooms. Only the marinara sauce was a disappointment--far too thick, and not nearly rambunctious enough.

Cioppino was the best of the main dishes. Mixed seafood, including snapper, clams, shrimp and calamari came in a thick, nicely seasoned tomato stew. And a fine filet mignon came topped with porcini .

Lobster Portofino may have been the worst. It turned out to be an undercooked, rock lobster tail. Chicken primavera wasn’t much better: a giant dish of parboiled vegetables and chunks of white meat chicken came in a profoundly boring butter sauce.

Jane will come by and offer you dessert after dinner, and I’d advise you to take her up on it. There is an excellent homemade bread pudding served cold, and several interesting gelato bombes , including tortoni (coconut ice cream with almonds) and espresso (also cloaked in chocolate). At this writing, the espresso machine has not yet arrived, so content yourself with cafe Picasso, a giant mug of coffee, grappa, rum, brandy and several other mystery ingredients. And don’t forget to say “G’day” on the way out.

Jane’s Cucina Italia, 2011 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. (818) 843-4437. Open for breakfast 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday through Friday , for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday , for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $20 to $30.