RESTAURANT REVIEW : Harmony at Stratton’s Encino Falters at the Menu

How spatial harmony can be created out of a dozen or so utterly disparate architectural elements and styles (each of which has gone in and out of fashion for the better part of a century) is difficult to imagine. But Stratton’s Encino (not the same ownership as Stratton’s Grill in Westwood) has done it.

Right in front of you, in the center of the restaurant’s first large space, is a marble-topped turn of the century, red walnut island bar sitting on a black and white, checked marble floor. The booths are made of the same wood as the bar, with hunter green leather-like upholstery.

But wait a minute. The ceiling is coarse, unfinished pale wood; there are exposed beams, and the wall columns are faux marble. Farther back, a second room is separated from the bar area by high-tech black-metal-framed glass with detailed molding all around it. There’s also a painting of an English hunt scene. And, improbable as it seems, the total effect is one of warmth and uncluttered complexity.

On a par with the decor is the service. On more than one occasion I was truly astonished at the attentiveness of the staff, who at all times kept the table serviced without intrusive fussiness.

But the menu at Stratton’s, despite some appealing elements, is less harmonious than the decor and service. It’s partly traditional American (short ribs, meat loaf, hamburger), partly Italian (mozzarella marinara, pastas), with an occasional “new” dish (grilled tuna salad Nicoise ). Since my experiences with the food has been so wildly uneven, I feel compelled to offer a score card.

Roughly speaking, the straightforward American dishes are good to excellent. Others are just OK, down to “I’d be happier if they just took the plate away.” At the top: braised short ribs, tasty and moist, as they should be; a coarsely ground and flavorsome hamburger; New York steak, well-textured and satisfying; an enormous veal chop, tender, juicy and full flavored.

Some of the more adventuresome dishes also provided real enjoyment. I liked the texture of the roasted yellow peppers and the zestiness of the marinated eggplant in Stratton’s mixed antipasto , for one. And an olive oil-basted roast chicken proved that simplicity is sometimes disarmingly appealing, whereas the mussels marinara showed the virtues of complexity (the garlic and tomato sauce was so dense and deeply flavored that I treated it as a soup after the mussels were gone).

The low end of the score card, however, is pretty crowded too. Crab cakes were fresh and lightly fried but unpleasantly over-laced with pimento. Mozzarella marinara was bland. Angel hair pasta with tomato, basil and garlic was, almost incredibly, flat on the night I had it.

Grilled fresh tuna salad had incomprehensibly dry fish, though it was laid out on a most creditable Nicoise- like salad (except that its olives were as dead as if they’d been entombed in a can). When I ordered the grilled halibut with dill sauce, I expected an airy filet of fish surrounded by a light sauce; instead I was faced with a brick-shaped (and textured) piece of fish drenched in a thickened sauce that may or may not have contained dill.

Desserts were often served too cold to be effectively tasted. The exceptions: a creditable New York cheesecake (the menu said it was actually flown in from New York) and a hot tarte tatin.

The wine list does, however, offer some uncommon delights, such as the 1988 Kistler Chardonnay (clean and free of oakiness despite its youth) and the 1985 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (pricey, at $42, but complex and gratifying).

And one more thing. Stratton’s french fries may be the best in town. They’re not steak fries nor any other fancy cut, though

the skin is still on. They’re just the best-textured and the best-tasting and the most oil-free I’ve come across. (My guess is that flecks of thyme have something to do with it.) If they don’t come with your entree, I’d definitely order some pronto.

Recommended dishes: mussels marinara, $8.25; short ribs, $13.50; hamburger, $7.75.

Stratton’s Encino, 16925 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 986-2400. Open 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday . Full bar. Parking available. Major credit cards. Dinner for two, food only, $45 to $75.