RESTAURANT REVIEW : Tratoria’s Pizzas Have Plenty of Pizazz

There’s a reason why Carlo and Rita DeDionisio and Luciano Carlucci have called their restaurant Trattoria de Roma: They are all from Rome.

The food, however, isn’t; the origins of these dishes run up and down the Italian boot from the Alps to Sicily. There’s nothing noticeably Roman about the stretch of Ventura Boulevard just west of Reseda Boulevard either. And this little place tucked away in a corner of a mini-mall called Topanga Town Plaza is not really a trattoria . So I feel justified in saying that Trattoria de Roma has a somewhat misleading name.

The interior features pictures of lots of places in Rome where tourists hang out (fountain of Trevi, Coliseum, etc.). It is upbeat and breezy, with a flashy open counter area, glass-topped tables with pastel green tablecloths and plants in the long window sills. A tape of a tenor singing Puccini seems to play constantly.

Despite the fact that the lunch menu is short, my favorite dishes here can be found on it. Something called a mini-pizza eggplant sandwich is a wonderful surprise, a flying saucer-shaped creation consisting of two cracker-thin crusts of pizza dough with a filling of diced eggplant and melted mozzarella cheese. The top is brushed with virgin olive oil and sprinkled with a little rosemary and the whole thing is cut into fourths. It’s simply one of the best lunch dishes anywhere in the Valley.

Several panini, Italian-style sandwiches, make good lunches too. Al taglio, with imported cold cuts, would be my choice, but al tonno, an oily tuna sandwich with lettuce, tomato and onion, is another winner. So is the eggplant sandwich, a filling concoction of breaded, sauteed eggplant. All are served on hot crusty loaves of Italian bread.

The dinner menu is more extensive--but less impressive. Antipasti, often the best part of an Italian meal, are not taken too seriously here. The house Caesar is limp, with chopped greens (as opposed to broken ones) and a dressing that is watery. Bruschetta, ordinarily grilled bread that is brushed with olive oil and topped with garlic, tomato and basil, is perfunctory, as if a topping of tomato and basil had simply been dumped onto premade garlic bread. And pasta e fagioli, the classic Roman bean and pasta soup, was unavailable when I asked for it. I had to settle for a beanless minestrone instead, a tasty, innocuous mixture of diced carrot, zucchini and celery in a tarragon-scented tomato broth.

Pasta and pizza save the day. Pastas are not made here, but the restaurant gets high marks for its preparation. Penne arrabbiata is delicious--tubular pasta in a spicy sauce that brings a flush to your face. The kitchen cooks the pasta until it is perfectly al dente. Linguini contadina, a lunch dish, is a resonant combination of garlic, fresh mushrooms and herbs. It is not on the menu at dinner.

Pizzas are especially good here, 10-inch or 15-inch masterpieces consisting of a crisp crust and a variety of interesting toppings. Checca --raw tomato, mozzarella, basil and garlic--tastes like what you hope for when you order a good bruschetta; the flavors are integrated and the combination is irresistible. Patate, a peasant dish from the north, has cheese, sliced potato and rosemary, without tomato sauce. And calzone ripieno, a gooey pouch of ricotta, egg, prosciutto and Parmesan, makes a worthy alternative to the pizzas.

Secondi piatti, entrees, aren’t as compelling as the primi. Saltimbocca, a true Roman favorite, is prepared without much style. It’s sauteed veal with thick slices of salty prosciutto, in a weak sauce with limp mushrooms and too much Marsala. Pollo cacciatora, chicken in marinara sauce with black olives and bell peppers, is insipid; the chicken is overcooked and the olives are from a can. Try pesce spada (swordfish) instead. It’s firm and fine.

Also save room for the big dessert, Rita DeDionisio’s special tiramisu. This dessert, which is often terribly tired , is done with real flair here. It’s a sweet, dense, creamy version loaded with rum, mascarpone and cream. It’s a dessert that Rome would be proud to call its own.

Recommended dishes: mini-pizza eggplant sandwich, $5.50; panino al taglio, $4.50; pizza patate, $6.50 (10 inches), and $11.50 (15 inches); pesce spada, $13.95; tiramisu, $4.

Trattoria de Roma, 18607 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; (818) 343-6942. Open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Beer and wine only. Lot parking behind Topanga Town Plaza. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners accepted. Dinner for two (food only) $25 to $50.