Itinerary: When in Rome

For all its ethnic diversity, Los Angeles falls a little short on the Italian front. We have no North Beach, no Little Italy.

When the wave of Italian immigration washed up on the beaches of L.A., the newcomers settled, as all groups seem to, around downtown. But after decades of assimilation, the only evidence of the community was the popular restaurant Little Joe’s, which served up pasta in the middle of Chinatown. It closed last December. When in Rome, do as the Romans. When in L.A., you have to seek the Romans out.

Thursday

What is Italy known for besides pasta? Suits. And shoes. And, generally, fabulous ties.

During the last two decades, a cluster of Italian menswear stores has grown up along South Los Angeles Street, centered between 7th and 8th, in downtown’s Fashion District. Shops with the names Vivachi, Tutto Italy, Italian Connection, Italian Corner, Paolo Cellini and Nino Ferretti populate just that one block.

In the evening, check out the latest work from famed Italian film director Giuseppe Tornatore (“Cinema Paradiso”). “The Legend of 1900” (rated R), his English-language debut, stars Tim Roth as a jazz pianist who has never left the ocean liner where he plays. It’s in selected theaters.

Friday

Get thee to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (5905 Wilshire Blvd.) to see “Pompeii: Life in a Roman Town.”

In AD 79, Mt. Vesuvius erupted and quickly buried the city of Pompeii under tons of ash. This time capsule from the Roman Empire was undisturbed until 1748.

The new touring exhibition contains 400 objects--frescoes, mosaics, tools, glass and pottery--never seen outside Italy. The show is organized in three sections--nature, science and technology--resulting in a complete picture of daily life nearly 2,000 years ago.

Special-dated tickets for “Pompeii” must be purchased separate from museum admission. $15, adults; $12, seniors; $5, ages 6 to 17; age 5 and younger, free. (877) POMPEII. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday

The 1990 census indicated that about 308,000 ethnic Italians lived in Los Angeles County--which may explain the huge number of Italian restaurants here. All the places with “Il” names, plus half the “La” names and most of the [fill in the blank] cafes.

That said, some of the area’s best restaurants serve regional Italian cuisine, either the Neapolitan or Sicilian variety, with its dried pastas and tomato sauces. Milanese and Venetian food, more recently fashionable, tends to be richer, using more meat and cream sauces.

Either way, there’s plenty of it here. For top-notch dining, try Primi for Neapolitan (10543 Pico Blvd., Rancho Park. [310] 475-9235). Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi serves dishes from Tuscany (114 W. Channel Road, Santa Monica [310] 573-1660). Alto Palato offers Roman-style pizza (755 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood. [310] 657-9271).

Sunday

Los Angeles’ grandest piece of folk art was created by an Italian immigrant. Simon (also called Sabato or Sabbatino) Rodia was a tile-setter and construction worker who started building a sculpture in 1921. When he finished Watts Towers around 1954, there were eight towers spiraling into the sky. The tallest two are nearly 10 stories high. The steel constructions are covered with bits of tile, pottery and glass, creating a wondrous, whimsical sight in the middle of a neighborhood of modest homes. Ongoing restoration work means there are no tours, but the towers, at 1765 E. 107th St., are still visible behind a fence.