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RESTAURANT REVIEW : Tradition Triumphs at Gaetano’s

You can still go into almost any trattoria in Italy and expect to be served a meal that’s in keeping with that country’s traditionally high culinary standards. This isn’t true of Italian restaurants outside of Italy. There seems to be an almost uniform willingness to adapt the cooking to local expectations, traditional standards be damned.

So, when at Gaetano’s Bistro in Woodland Hills, I ordered for tasting purposes an obviously inappropriate combination of pasta--with duck, with sausage, with seafood--I was amazed that the chef (who, of course, didn’t know that I wasn’t a typical diner) cared enough to try to protect his work--and my palate--by suggesting that the seafood pasta be replaced by another.

In addition to respecting his craft and tradition, he turned out to be uncommonly talented. Fusilli with smoked duck breast and sun-dried tomatoes was superb. The duck was moist and flavorsome, the ensemble wisely balanced. Rigatoni benefited from savory sausage and wild mushrooms while the gnocchi (with pesto and mascarpone), the most challenging of pastas, had the unmistakeable--and rare--texture of the real thing.

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Shitake mushrooms are hardly part of the Italian tradition, but vinegared and topped with melted Scamorza cheese, you could have fooled me. I was sure that the smokiness of this hearty cheese would overpower the mushrooms. But the marinade made them not only stand up to it but complement it as well.

Cold shrimp are rarely served freshly cooked. Not so here. Shrimp with the crispest, thinnest green beans and a drizzle of olive oil had been cooked so little and so recently that they were still tender and full-flavored. Less successful was the carpaccio , which, though of excellent quality, was overpowered by a mustard sauce, even though the meat was too thickly sliced. Calamaretti fritti were uninteresting.

There are no fixed fish dishes at Gaetano’s: All the menu says is “Today’s Fresh Fish.” The only indication of the seriousness with which the restaurant takes this tricky aspect of any menu are the fish dishes themselves-- perfectly grilled whole bronzino (striped bass), filleted at table side, for instance. But, wait a minute, is the waiter tainting it with some dark sauce (even if he’s decent enough to spoon it next to the fillets)? Happens all the time. What doesn’t happen all the time is that the sauce turns out to be exquisite and appropriate. It didn’t have a name, but I’d call it forestiere, because it seemed to be made of melted wild mushrooms smelling of a dark moist forest.

It was difficult for other entrees to shine in comparison. Slices of lamb loin with a cream of roasted garlic sauce were enjoyable, as was chicken with Mediterranean vegetables. Halibut with a light cream sauce and fennel was slightly overcooked. The side vegetables and potatoes, notably spinach and herbed roasted new potatoes, were uniformly excellent.

There is a more than adequate list of Italian, French and California wines. The Cortese di Gavi was crisp and dry with a flowery Sauvignon Blanc finish.

Desserts are professional. They are not, however, made with a fine Italian hand.

Gaetano’s is in a new office building complex whose name, Trillium, and marble surfacing speak of its pretensions. There is, however, nothing pretentious about the restaurant. Maybe it’s the affable reception you receive, the decor, or more likely, a combination of both that make it an unexpectedly comfortable place. The comfort is unexpected because the polished metal and pastel fabric interior by rights should be insipid but isn’t.

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The complaints are minimal. On one occasion there was too long a wait between courses. Air-conditioning draughts in the booths near the windows can be disturbing. But these are small things. The big thing is that this is a restaurant so good you will want to reserve a table. And when you do, you will probably get it on time. I am happy to report that it doesn’t overbook.

Gaetano’s Bistro, 6336 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, (818) 596-5900. Open for lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday ; for dinner 5:30-10:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday . Full bar. Valet parking. American Express, MasterCard and Visa accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $35-$50.

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