A DELICIOUS WORK IN PROGRESS.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

The new green neon sign of Mallory's, which replaced Montana's on Cahuenga Boulevard near Universal City, suggests an Irish-accented boite.

But the only indication of an accent comes from the refreshingly happy-sounding brogue of cheery, curly-haired host-greeter Kevin O'Regan, and not from the food.

There's neither a traditional Irish lamb stew nor a corned beef and cabbage plate in sight.

But Mallory's cooks up some darn good, contemporary-style food, attractively presented and prepared with evident skill.

In its latest incarnation, the restaurant's ownership has made a few obvious interior changes, such as formalizing its main room into a comfortable, serious-looking dining area utilizing wood dividers, metal-backed chairs, warm carpeting and nicely set, linen-topped tables.

And with the tinkling of soft melodies from a lounge-area piano entertainer plus vocals from both the pianist and a soft-voiced singer, there's a combination of coziness and quiet sophistication here that, as novelist Dick Francis once penned about a favored eating place, ``takes the din out of dinner'' in a very welcome manner.

As for the fare, it probably falls into the ``new American'' category with a kitchen that appears to do its best with seafood.

Cod ($14.95), for example, is lifted from ordinary status by a zingy coating of spicy horseradish. The moist, flaky filet arrives perched on a mound of tasty garlic mashed potatoes encircled by a restrained touch of chive oil. As a finishing touch, it's garnished with a scattering of several crispy leek strands on top.

Although the menu promises a ``mescaline salad'' rather than a mesclun one with its grilled tuna ($17.95), this is no psychedelic, hallucinatory, drug-induced, satisfaction. Instead, the result from this quite colorful dish of soy-splashed purple ovals of rare ahi arranged aesthetically with earthy brown-toned portobello mushroom, dark-splotched red roasted tomato and varying green-shaded mixed baby lettuces, is nothing less than genuine palate pleasure.

Just as joyful is Mallory's pan-seared calamari ($7.95) of fresh baby squids prepared with sweet peppers in an herbal, lemony, vinegar-tinged, rich broth that ends up with a dish almost stewlike in appearance and chock full of lilting flavors.

The house's seafood chowder (cup $3.95, bowl $5.95) has the kitchen joining a spicy tomato and vegetable blend with chopped seafood for great taste, though the texture of the overly hard clam bits could be improved.

I'm looking forward to trying more of Mallory's seafood items. The list of ocean fare intrigues include striped bass; salmon, shrimp and lobster ravioli main courses; also a crab cake appetizer; raw oyster and clam starters; plus a tuna tartare offering.

A simple dinner salad ($3.50) of similar lettuces to those in the tuna dish pinpoints the adeptness this kitchen has in serving perfectly crisp, chilled leaves carefully coated light-handedly with good-tasting dressing. If you're drawn to Caesar flavors, you'll probably be happy with Mallory's version of a Caesar dressing.

The chef also does a neat job with rare breast of duck ($17.95). Like the tuna, the duck is expertly sliced and fanned handsomely around a mound of mashed sweet potatoes capped with sauteed Swiss chard.

Balancing the chard's bitterness and harmonizing with the slightly sweet potatoes on this dish is a well-chosen balsamic sauce boosted with honey.

Naturally, not everything is perfect. Unfortunately, a pan-roasted half chicken ($15.95) plate that, with its rosemary, garlic and honey flavors, could have been comparably enjoyable, suffered from undercooking one evening. (Pink-hued meat on chicken, especially when it's almost red at the bone, is rather off-putting these days. And though it was sent back for more heat, it still retained blood tones when returned.)

Endings are enhanced, however, by several house-prepared desserts, especially the fruit cobbler ($5.95), a delicious, mostly apple, rendition, and the chocolate mousse cake ($5.95) that improves when heated.

With its more alluring prices at lunchtime, Mallory's should quickly become a successful daytime rendezvous.

As for evening activity, hopefully its good food and surroundings plus full bar, attentive service and passable wine list will help bring deserved recognition to this new East Valley dinner house.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Mallory's.

Where: 3575 Cahuenga Blvd. W., near Universal City.

When: Open for lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. nightly.

Recommended items: Seafood chowder, mesclun dinner salad with Caesar dressing, pan-seared calamari with sweet peppers, grilled duck breast with pureed sweet potato, grilled rare tuna with portobello mushrooms, sauteed horseradish-crusted cod on garlic mashed potatoes, warmed chocolate mousse cake, fruit cobbler.

How much: Starters and pizzas from $3.50 to $12, pastas and entrees from $10 to $21, desserts from $3.50 to $6. Full bar. Piano-vocal entertainment. All major credit cards.

Wine list: Small starting list of 21 labels without any great bargains and minimum varietals - chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, white zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir. Also a few sparklers. Best of the seven under-$20 bottles is the '96 Buena Vista sauvignon blanc ($16). Corkage $5.

Reservations: Helpful. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three and One Half Stars for food; Three Stars for service; Two Stars for wine.

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Photo

Photo: Tuning up for memorable music and food are Mallory's owners Linda and Jim Mallory, with chef Frank Padilla.

Gus Ruelas/Daily News