RESTAURANT REVIEW : Sunny Italian Fare From a Sunny Italian

Caffe Roberto, in the southernmost tip of Culver City, sits virtually under the 405 Freeway, across from Denny’s in a nondescript Playa Vista mini-mall. I took one look at the little enclosed patio attached to a low-slung building, and was not thrilled.

Still, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek at the menu displayed outside. Before I’d read a word, however, the cooking smells--garlic, warm bread, grilling meat--got me in the door.

The ceilings were low. The floors were slanted. The walls had been covered in wood lattice and the whole place had been whitewashed. It all had the look of a garage-turned-garden-room slapped together by a home improvement do-it-yourselfer.

The interior’s rosy glow was courtesy of the neon OPEN sign in the window. But there were white table cloths, cloth napkins, pink carnations and small decanters of olive oil on the tables. And, for a Wednesday night, this little neighborhood establishment was doing a consistent, cheerful business.

Roberto himself, a friendly, bright-eyed Italian in a broad-shouldered European-cut suit, waited tables. He greeted the many customers he knew warmly--the men with big grappling hugs, the women with gallant kisses.

Customers included older couples, tables of friends, families. A number of men came in work clothes--men who might have gone to Denny’s before Caffe Roberto opened up, but instead found this friendly place.

There were also many couples on dates. And no wonder; as my date pointed out, Roberto is the kind of restaurant owner who, once he got to know you, would make exactly the kind of fuss you’d like to have made over you when you take out someone special. Roberto has a beguiling knack for wooing customers, and it’s making him a success in the neighborhood.

The food? “Home Made Northern Italian Cuisine,” said the menu, right over a map of Italy in which the territories of Toscana and Veneta were highlighted. We poured olive oil onto our bread plates and mopped it up with not-great bread. We split a Caesar salad, which isn’t from Northern Italy, but which is de rigueur on every menu in Southern California. Roberto’s version boded well: It was a fest of lemon, garlic, cheese and anchovy on good fresh romaine. We then split the carpaccio, which was not carpaccio as I understand it, namely raw beef. This carpaccio was bresaola , air-dried beef on a bed of arugula and radicchio, with Parmesan and lemon. It was huge and delicious nevertheless, and we took about a third of it home.

There were other pleasures. Bruschetta , tiny toast rounds topped with fresh tomato and onion, were served with a heavenly basil-steeped olive oil. Steamed spinach sauteed in olive oil with garlic was one dish of transcendent simplicity; the capellini alla checca another. The antipasto platter of prosciutto, mozzarella and tomato with fresh basil is large enough for two generous portions, which makes it, at $6.50, one of the great bargains around.

Entrees were daunting in size and frequently a letdown after the appetizers. A special one night consisted of 10 fresh tiger shrimp with linguine and a fresh tomato sauce; the shrimp, unfortunately, were sadly overcooked and dry. Risotto con zucchini was a sticky (as opposed to creamy) rice dish made terribly over-rich with bacon and way too much cheese. Rigatoni with meat sauce was not big short tubes, but rather smallish quill-shaped penne; however, the meat sauce with the pasta was simple and satisfying. A swordfish special, served with angel hair pasta with basil and tomatoes, was pretty good too.

On a weekend night, every table was full. Roberto himself was in checkered cooks pants, white chef coat and apron because, he said, when it’s busy like this, he has to run back and cook, as well as mingle. And indeed, while there was a young man helping out waiting tables and a number of back-up buspersons, the service was slow and fitful, as if the staff hasn’t quite kept up with the mounting business.

Unpretentious, inexpensive and cheerful, Caffe Roberto without a doubt also has idiosyncrasies and inconsistencies, but the neighborhood will probably have a pretty good time getting to know them.

Caffe Roberto, 11800 W. Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, (213) 390-5736. Lunch Monday through Friday; dinner nightly. Major credit cards. Parking in lot. Beer and wine. Dinner for two, food only, $25-$48.