Italy Gets the Boot : California cuisine replaces namesake food at Sorrento, but martinis are fancy and the fish is even better now.

“Come back to Sorrento,” goes the old ballad. For nearly 10 years, people around here have been coming back to Sorrento Grille; this ruggedly handsome restaurant has stood against all comers in Laguna’s competitive dining scene.

And that fact remains even though Sorrento’s present incarnation has little to do with the original concept, which was Italian--there’s this town in Italy named Sorrento, see--with a sharp California twist.

O.C. omni-restaurateur David Wilhelm runs things now, and he’s put his creative stamp on a trendy new menu of California cuisine and fancy martinis, and the kitchen makes only vague references to the cooking of Italy.

Still, there’s continuity enough. It’s as difficult as ever to get a parking space in downtown Laguna during the summer. And the noise level at Sorrento continues to border on the ear-splitting because the restaurant insists on playing loud music in an already noisy room.

The place’s appearance hasn’t changed either. It’s an attractive, cavernous cafe with huge glass doors and an open kitchen (though the tiny alcoves set into the stucco walls are now stocked with cactus plants, doubtless because of Wilhelm’s affinity for the Southwest).

The A tables are still on the mezzanine, reached by a winding staircase. Not only do they afford a bird’s-eye view of the dining room, but also the music isn’t as loud up there, so adult conversation is possible.

Like most Wilhelm ventures, Sorrento Grille has an intelligent wine list, with choices such as a Byron Reserve ’94 Pinot Noir and a Swanson Sangiovese, $40 and $38 respectively. But who can resist Sorrento’s cool martinis, looking so regal in their chilled, thick-stemmed Deco-style glasses?

The Dirty Cajun Martini is made with Bombay Sapphire gin, olive brine and two olives stuffed with hot red chiles. The PinaCranaKaze is pineapple-infused Skyy vodka, lime and cranberry juice--refreshing.

The best appetizer is a salad of mesclun greens with thin slices of pear and even thinner slices of delicious smoked Muscovy duck breast. My only complaint is that the kitchen scrimps on the duck, and you’ll pine for more. A nice spinach salad is dressed with red onions, feta cheese, tomatoes and a tangy warm pancetta bacon vinaigrette.

The appetizer of grilled prosciutto-wrapped shrimp with crispy polenta is just all right; the shrimp seem a bit heavy, the polenta even more so. But I really like the ahi tuna carpaccio: sushi-bar-quality tuna pounded thin and topped with pea shoots, endives and red onions. The appetizer menu’s one bow to Italy--a fritto misto of artichokes, zucchini, calamari and onions--uses a great crunchy breading laced with Parmesan cheese. It’s a sumptuous platter, essentially designed to serve two.

Now that this is mainly a California grill, I’m much happier with the fish than with the red meats, which tend to be overcooked. The place does a fine job with its spicy rare ahi steak, a great piece of fish that looks like a baseball cut of beef. The risotto cake, spinach and horseradish sauce work beautifully as garnishes. Sorrento’s peppered salmon--a peppery chunk of Atlantic salmon topped with a relish of blood oranges, tomatoes, basil, fennel and red onions--is a perfect summer dish.

I really like the sage-roasted sea bass on a colorful bed of corn, fava beans and roasted red peppers. The vegetables accentuate the flavor of the fish, and basil-infused olive oil adds the right touch of herbal perfume. Grilled swordfish with lemon, capers and garlic is fine too, but nothing you can’t get all over town.

Among the meat choices, the best is easily a Parmesan-crusted chicken breast on a bed of tomato sauce, corn and sweet peppers. The breading is the same used in the fritto misto, and it seals in the chicken’s juices the way you’d want it to.

The New York steak fiorentina is a letdown for anyone expecting a Florentine beefsteak. It’s just a steak with mai^tre d’hotel butter on top, not at all like the sliced steak with rock salt and olive oil you’d get in Tuscany.

The grilled veal chop with porcini essence isn’t much better, at least not overcooked, as mine was. The side dish on the plate is white truffle mashed potatoes. They’re good, but I couldn’t detect a truffle flavor.

The dessert list includes the inevitable tiramisu, a nice raspberry and orange creme bru^lee, ice creams and two ornate creations. One is a warm brownie sundae with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream and a rich peanut butter caramel sauce. The dish is way over the top, but it must be said that the brownie is uncommonly fudgy and delicious, almost like a warm chocolate cake.

The other ornate specialty is a strawberry rhubarb crisp served with creamy cinnamon ice cream and a topping that reminds me of fancy oatmeal. Hey, you can get away with serving oatmeal--or just about anything--in Laguna on a weekend. Everybody’s just grateful to have found a parking space, which I hear is also a problem in that other Sorrento, the one in Italy.

Sorrento Grille is expensive. Appetizers are $5.95 to $13.95. Pastas are $13.95 to $15.95. Entrees are $16.95 to $24.95.

BE THERE

Sorrento Grille, 370 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-8686. 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday- Thursday, 5:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. All major cards.