RESTAURANT REVIEW : Uneven Homage to Catalonia

Afew days ago a friend from Barcelona--one of my favorite restaurant cities--was here working on a film near the Burbank Studios. In deference to his tight schedule I agreed to take him to dinner close by.

Almost immediately, I felt a moment of panic. What restaurant could make him feel comfortable and provide a little of the culinary excitement for which Los Angeles is developing a worldwide reputation? Then, with images of some of Barcelona’s sparsely appointed but handsome restaurants in mind, I knew it had to be the Barsac Brasserie, which opened a month or so ago in North Hollywood.

I had noticed the restaurant while it was being outfitted and, even in its unfinished stages, was attracted by its tasteful, understated design. My anticipation increased each time I passed. But by the time my friend joined me for dinner, I had already had a couple of meals there and discovered that the menu can be somewhat treacherous: some dishes were excellent, worthy of a brasserie of the Barsac’s aspirations, others were seriously disappointing.

Fortunately the meal with my friend went very well. The expansive room with well-spaced tables, the open kitchen (not common in Europe) and the attentive service put us at ease. A complementary ramekin of soft cream cheese heavily scented with fresh tarragon and wine vinegar was soon empty; we had greedily spread the heady palate teaser on numerous fresh, hot rolls.

The whitefish Florentine--steamed whitefish with whole spinach leaves--was refreshingly well prepared. The accompaniments were just as flavorsome: green beans fresh and still crisp, a turnip puree with bite to it and potatoes a la dauphinoise --garlicky and well-textured. On another occasion, it was a pleasant surprise to find a robust puree of red beets among the vegetables.

Desserts were another matter: a good-looking raspberry tart was hard, probably from being over-refrigerated.

This is indicative of the main problem at the Barsac: its pre-prepared dishes. A too-cold pate that might have been flavorsome at room temperature; a plate of dry-around-the-edges smoked fish that also might have come from the fridge; and a duck salad whose fresh-mixed greens, arugula, raddichio and so on only made the topping, pieces of flavorless roast duck, seem all the more tired.

But once again the kitchen came through with the usually more difficult to handle dishes, such as fish. A poached salmon a l’oseille was especially nice, the flesh tender and moist, not overcooked even by a moment, and complemented by a deftly light sorrel sauce. cotes de boeuf bordelaise was appropriately hearty.

Some of the desserts were also enjoyable. Notably, a tangy lemon tart and a blueberry tart whose berries were plump, juicy and especially flavorsome.

The success of the dinner with my Catalan friend was undoubtedly helped by a lovely crisp meursault (Jaffelin, l985, $35). The wine list, however, is strongest in California bottlings, most of them at affordable prices.

Among the unexpected pleasures of the Barsac is its setting: an old-line stretch of one-story commercial buildings that is reminiscent of what Melrose Avenue used to be like--except that the view across the street through its chic, large rectangle of plate-glass windows is even more like a photo montage or an image out of a super-realist painting. To the right the home of Colortint window tinting, to the left Motorville Tires. This is all the more reason to treasure what there is to treasure about the Barsac Brasserie and hope that its kitchen soon grows up to the level of its promise.

Barsac Brasserie, 4212 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 760-7081. Open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and for dinner 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays. Full bar. Street or valet parking. American Express, Diner’s Club, MasterCard, Visa accepted.

Recommended dishes: whitefish Florentine, $14.50; saumon a l’oseille, $14.40. Dinner for two, food only, $25 to $40.