A LA CARTE : CHARMING CHARCUTERIE.

Byline: Larry Lipson

We may think of it as a plate of ``cold cuts.'' But the charcuterie platter is one of the most satisfying of snacks the French have given us.

Unfortunately, they're not too easy to find in local restaurants. Americans tend to associate pates and sliced sausage-style meats with high cholesterol.

Yet the French generally drink plenty of red wine with their charcuterie and don't seem to suffer much from such indulgences. And the Germans also like their mixed-meat platters.

So if you feel comfortable nibbling, spreading and munching from a good charcuterie platter along with occasional wine sipping - which, in toto, could arguably be described as the ultimate bread, wine and thou experience - here are a few restaurants worth consideration:

California Canteen

Address: 3311 Cahuenga Blvd. W., near Universal City.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: European bistro.

Contents: Prosciutto, saucisson (sausage), duck liver mousse, salami, cornichons (tiny pickled gherkins) and black olives.

Price: Assiette de charcuterie for two is $9.

Chez Nous

Address: 10550 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French-Californian.

Contents: Salami, Black Forest ham, sliced pate (choice of veal, duck or vegetable), three cheeses (brie, montrachet and Muenster), black and green olives, cornichons.

Price: $12.45 (half-order $7.50).

Gypsy Grill

Address: 16911 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French-Mediterranean-Californian.

Contents: Traditional French country pates and saucisson.

Price: $8.50.

Knoll's Black Forest Inn

Address: 2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: German.

Contents: Smoked pork loin, knackwurst, bratwurst, home-fried potatoes with onions, spaetzles, sauerkraut and red cabbage on the house Black Forest platter.

Price: The Black Forest plate comes with with soup or salad ($18.75) and is available a la carte by special request.

Le Chardonnay

Address: 8284 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French.

Contents: Country peppercorn pate, rillette (pork terrine), garlic sausage, dry saucisson, cornichons.

Price: $11.50.

Le Marmiton

Address: 1327 Montana Ave., Santa Monica.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French bistro.

Contents: Three pates - such as a rough-textured pate maison, a mild country pate called pate campagne and a pate de foie (usually duck liver). Garlic pork sausage is often the saucisson choice, and there is aspic plus a scattering of cornichons.

Price: $10.75.

Lunaria

Address: 10351 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French.

Contents: Pot of veal rillette, saucisson sec (dry sausage from the Pyrenees), jambon Bayonne (French ham), terrine of duck, slices of andouillette (tripe sausage), cornichons, Dijon mustard, pain grillet (toasted bread).

Price: $8.50 (on the bar menu).

Mimosa

Address: 8009 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French bistro.

Contents: Saucisson a l'ail (garlic sausage), rosette de Lyon (dry salame), rillette (pork and duck terrine), chicken country terrine, Burgundy ham terrine, andouille tripe sausage, jambon Bayonne (prosciutto-style ham), jar of cornichons, jar of black marinated olives, pot of French Dijon mustard.

Price: $9.95.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Universal City's California Canteen, owned by Yannick LaBorde, is one of the local restaurants offering a charcuterie platter.

Lori Valesko/Daily News