Low Prices, High Decibel

Forte’s, the old Encino Continental place, is gone, and in its place Gypsy Grill is moving rotisserie chicken and potato and goat cheese tarts where linguine clams and steak Diane used to reign. The ambience is different now too: austere contemporary decor (stark white walls, Diva lights, wrought-iron chairs) and the decibel level of a 747 just before cruising altitude.

Does anyone mind the change? Apparently not. The new place has been doing land-office business, probably due in no small part to prices only slightly above those of a fast-food restaurant.

Oddly, the owners of this popular-priced quasi-Argentine place used to work at the Beverly Hills Hotel, as did Greg Cappotto, whom they have hired as executive chef. The menu they’ve put together is based on simple grilled meats, a few fish dishes and classic desserts such as apple tart, creme bru^lee and chocolate souffle.

The first time I went to Gypsy Grill, we were led, after a fair amount of confusion about our reservation, to a large table in the middle of the room. The white tablecloths were covered with sheets of butcher paper. “While they were at it,” I shouted to my friends over the ambient roar, “why couldn’t they have covered the cement floor with a carpet?”

The meal got off to a good start anyway, as meals tend to here. Everyone loved the polenta crisps, a nice twist on bruschetta. Cappotto makes little cornmeal cakes, grills them and then adds a topping such as a salty tapenade, a pungent tomato compote or creamy goat cheese. We practically snapped up the crisps before the dish hit the table.

Another good appetizer is the potato and goat cheese tart, a warm, golden round made of Yukon potatoes broken up into bite-sized chunks, bound by a mortar of goat cheese subtly blended with Dijon mustard. There’s a good smoked salmon plate with a toasted brioche. Choripan is an eccentric Argentine sandwich: a length of sourdough bread with pork sausage, pepper Jack cheese and tomatillo sauce in it. It’s listed as an appetizer on this menu, but it’s a huge one--it could serve as a main course.

A green salad or cup of soup is only $1 additional with any entree--a good deal. The salads are made with fresh greens and dressings. The soups, anything from a fragrant puree of wild mushrooms to a traditional French potato-leek soup, are as nice as anything the restaurant serves.

So far, so good. But the entrees are erratic. My sauteed sea bass, though nicely brushed with thyme, garlic and oil, tasted ever so slightly less than fresh. The lamb shank was the smallest I have ever been served in a restaurant, though it was beautifully braised and I’d have liked to have more.

One evening I had a classic entreco^te with a black peppercorn sauce, and the meat came tender and pink as ordered. Another evening I ordered the mixed grill, which proved to be a mistake. It was a huge plate of filet mignon, sausage, grilled chicken breast and short ribs--all overcooked, and the ribs gristly and tough.

If you don’t spot the chickens slowly turning on a long spit in Gypsy Grill’s open kitchen, you’ll surely catch their scent. The chickens come to the table nicely browned and redolent of rosemary on a plate garnished with sauteed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. I’m afraid mine was rather dry--a pity, since this would be one of the Valley’s great bargains at $9.95.

The desserts are nice, though. A trio of souffles is a nice idea: three tiny cups filled with vanilla, chocolate and Grand Marnier souffles, respectively. The warm chocolate tart itself resembles a free-standing souffle, but less eggy. A stream of molten fudge runs from the center when the tart is pierced.

Perhaps best of all is the apple tart: a buttery, wafer-thin crust topped with slivered apples, served hot from the oven. This is the most rustic dish Gypsy Grill can muster, and one that makes you long for the quiet of the countryside. Or at least for a room where you can speak someone’s name and actually be heard.

BE THERE

Gypsy Grill, 16911 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; dinner 6-11:30 p.m. daily; brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun. Full bar. Valet parking. All major cards. (818) 784-7393.