RESTAURANTS : Zorbas: A Place of Mythic Portions

The irrepressible Aristidis Deslis is at it again, breaking plates, dancing up a storm and cooking some of the best Greek food in Southern California. Whoa-- opa. This time, he may truly have found a home.

Zorbas at the Lakes, the third and handsomest Orange County restaurant with which this man has been involved, is the latest forum for his frenzied activities. (The other two, Tustin’s Greek Cuisine and the Athenian in Huntington Beach, will not soon forget him--though he is no longer involved with either restaurant.)

Zorbas, in fact, is probably the handsomest, and most ostentatious Greek restaurant I’ve ever seen. It’s a vast white chamber filled with Doric columns, mock olive sprays and plaster bas-reliefs, set against an outdoor patio. The effect, I’m told, is deliberate. Deslis says it is supposed to make you think you are inside a platia, the Greek version of a plaza.

Every design element reaches for some kind of dramatic effect. The baby-blue ceiling, 18 feet from the floor and illuminated by flood-lit soffits, is almost spiritual in its grandeur. Tables are laid out, supper-club style, in long rows facing a stage guarded by giant statues of Poseidon with his trident. Many tables sit directly under a trompe-l’oeil mezzanine, a mini-Parthenon where plaster castings of Zeus, Aphrodite, Athena and Artemis peer down in watchfulness. A copy of Edith Hamilton’s book on Greek mythology wouldn’t suffice to identify all this wall art.

Zorba, you’ll remember, the wonderful hero of Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel “Zorba the Greek,” was noted for spontaneity and joie de vivre. These are qualities you get in extremis in this restaurant: Deslis is Zorba incarnate. Doubters are invited to observe him and his nightly antics.

Deslis is a fount of energy, prancing around his dining room like a madman, terrorizing his waiters, dashing off to his kitchen to stage-manage dinners, dashing back to drag unsuspecting customers off to the dance floor. Nondas Evagelatos, the bouzouki player, makes music so hypnotic that eating here seems almost beside the point. But it isn’t. Deslis, for all his theatrics, is both finished and imaginative as a chef.

The typical Greek kitchen turns out heavy eastern Mediterranean peasant fare--oily, sour food that takes a little getting used to. Not this one. Deslis cooks with a light touch, much like his dance step.

He marinates all his meats in yogurt, an innovation that actually serves to speed up the grilling process (lactic acid tenderizes the meat). Many dishes are flavored with Metaxa or ouzo, Greek brandies, which add a touch of class. Touches of originality surface, too, as with the terrific kopanisti. This puree--made from red pepper, feta, ouzo, olives and mustard--is the perfect complement to hot pita bread.

Wading through the mezedakia --18 hot and cold Greek appetizers suited for nibbling--requires stamina. Good dips such are served cold in little ceramic cups, sprinkled with Kalamata olives and crowned by lemon halves wrapped in cheesecloth. For instance, melitzanosalata , made from crushed eggplant, heavy on the lemon juice but light on the tongue. The taramosalata is cod roe creamed with garlic and olive oil, a light, mild version that comes up short on personality. Tzatziki is probably the best of the three, but a dish I like better with souvlaki than as an appetizer. This yogurt, cucumber and mint dip is especially sublime as an accompaniment to grilled meats.

Two of the hot appetizers rival any I’ve had in a Greek restaurant. The menu describes keftedakia as minced beef patties laced with basil sauce, but don’t you believe it. These are crisp pan-fried patties powered by fresh mint, with brandy adding a mysterious complexity. Inside, they are amazingly soft and juicy.

The unpronounceable yiouvarlakia , is even better. This is a plate of the lightest meat cakes imaginable, spheroids of steamed lamb mixed with rice and mint, topped with a fluffy egg lemon sauce suspiciously like a French mousseline.

Marides and kalamarakia --batter-fried smelts and squid respectively--are light and tasty for their genre. They are also the last things you want before heavy casseroles or hearty brochettes. Gigantes beans a la Zorba is a heart-stopper: cassoulet, Greek style. These giant red beans (they look like volcanic pebbles) come in a rich, aromatic tomato sauce with olive paste and crumbled feta.

One of the biggest treats here is the dish called kondosouvli, a dish that could easily be mistaken for gyros, its poor soy-enriched relation. This is pure, prime lamb meat that Deslis glazes with a mustard, mint and garlic marinade while broiling vertically sliced off in flaps when crisply browned. The edges go crunch in the mouth; the centers are juicy.

Lamb souvlaki differs sharply because it’s marinated in yogurt and broiled in the more conventional horizontal position. Here the lamb comes in chunks, more evenly browned and cooked with tender moderation. Zorbas’ chicken souvlaki, for what it’s worth, carries tenderness to the extreme. It practically disintegrates when you remove it from the skewer.

There is nothing outstanding about the more familiar Greek baked dishes at Zorbas, but everything is of a high standard. Moussaka and pastitsio tend toward dryness but don’t lack for hearty, aromatic flavors. Both spinach pie and broiled chicken are about as good as they can be, the chicken zesty with lemon and oregano and the spinach pie a luscious triangle of flaky crust and moist filling.

You can try about half the menu at once in a combination called Zorbas’ deluxe dinner, but I wouldn’t. It’s simply an excessive serving, many of the more delicate dishes cast in a shadow by the ones with stronger flavors.

Desserts are not emphasized here, though they are quite good. A rather sweet version of baklava, featuring a double portion of nuts, is the crowd fave here, although rizogalo, a creamy rice pudding flavored with raisins and (yes) brandy, is more arresting.

Don’t plan on finishing dessert in one stretch, of course. That’s when Deslis loves to strike. And Zeus knows it is impossible to snap your fingers, do the two-step and hold a glass in your mouth while eating rice pudding.

Zorbas is moderately priced. Mezedakia are $4.95 to $7.95. Main dishes are $12.95 to $24.95. Desserts are $2.95.

* ZORBAS

* 580 Anton Blvd., A101, Costa Mesa.

* (714) 436-0142.

* Open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.; for dinner Monday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday till midnight.

* All major cards accepted.