BRING $22 AND YOUR APPETITE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

The Brazilian churrasco style of dining has finally reached Ventura Boulevard.

Already popular locally in Panorama City at Espetos Do Brazil and in Burbank at Picanha, the all-you-can-eat, single-price meal concept is now available in Encino at the Rio Lounge & Grill. It features gaucho servers coming to each table and slicing or disengaging a variety of barbecued meats (one or two at a time) from lengthy, dramatic, swordlike skewers.

Rio, the colorful replacement for the long-shuttered Papashon, utilizes new upholstery, paint and lighting to cleverly bring bright reds, greens and supporting hues to the large dining room and two-bar facility that was widely known some years ago as Le Hot Club.

It's an engaging place with an engaging dining policy.

First of all, you know exactly what you're going to spend, and that's $22 for dinner. It doesn't matter how many times you put the little wooden indicator in a green-up position, which tells the gaucho-server that you're ready for more meat, poultry or fish.

Actually, the fish here, either salmon, simply grilled with lemon, or mahi-mahi, similarly cooked and flavored with ginger and coconut, comes on a platter rather than on a sword. You can pick up as many pieces as you want with your individual set of prongs, useful also when the gaucho-server is cutting off slices of medium-rare filet mignon or tender sirloin.

The choices, by the way, seem endless. I like the ribs, both marinated beef and garlicky pork. But garlic steak was overdone and disappointingly dryish one time.

Beef also comes as tenderloin Parmesan, according to the menu. I don't remember receiving it, though. But the pork that arrives in loin form on spiced pineapple had good flavor and was reasonably tender.

If you like sausages, the Brazilian linguica version looks and taste good. Leg of lamb was better one night than another. Ditto for the duck, the first time juicy, tender and lean, the second time quite fatty and gristly.

Of course, the most positive aspect of this type of eating experience may well be the fact that you can push aside anything that you don't like and quickly get something else.

Chicken is delivered as respectable, spicy, honey-glazed drumsticks and as oregano-flavored thighs. And an herbal rendition of quail is nothing less than delightful.

But what about a starter and any entree accompaniments?

Well, you'll get them - and they're also bountiful.

More good news: They're included in the $22 tab.

Unless you order an a la carte appetizer, a meal here begins with decent bread and three excellent dipping or flavoring sauces (chimichurri, malagueta, vinagreta) plus the crunchy farofa (cassava-root meal) followed by a very nicely executed, table-tossed salad.

Believe me, the extra appetizers, though handsomely presented and quite flavorful, are not needed. There's really too much food even without them. With them, you'll possibly find yourself so overstuffed you won't be able to try the full range of churrasco possibilities.

As for the accompaniments, the server brings a refillable heaping container of black beans and rice, and curved platters of glazed carrots, creamed spinach and roasted plantains.

If you want more of anything, you merely ask for it.

However, be prepared for the absence of the two a la carte desserts ($4 each) usually available here, flan and banana cream pie. Evidently, they go quickly.

But who really needs them, anyway?

For a sweetish, fruity ending, just request the pork loin with spiced pineapple from one of the passing gauchos or your regular table server and when it's presented, eat the pineapple.

And then, as you leave, you can say what they say in Brazil: ``Apreciamos, obrigado.''

RIO LOUNGE & GRILL

Food: Three stars. Wine: Two stars. Service: Three and one half stars.

Where: 15910 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

Hours: Open for dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m. nightly, to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (Will open for lunch soon.)

Recommended items: Filet mignon, sirloin, beef and pork ribs, linguica (sausage), duck, quail, bacon-wrapped turkey, lamb, salmon, mahi-mahi.

How much: $22 per person inclusive. A la carte appetizers $6 to $8 per order. A la carte desserts $4 each. Full bar. All major credit cards.

Wine list: Starting selection of 31 wines priced from $20 (six options) to $165 ('95 Dom Perignon) with 18 offered by the glass ($5.50 to $8.50). Labels from California, Washington state, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Spain and France. Corkage: $4.

Reservations: Taken. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) Gaucho leader Warney Ferreira, at top, carves a picanha steak at the all-you-can-eat Rio Lounge & Grill. Above, the sides of creamed spinach, carrots, beans, rice, and fried plantains are also refilled by request.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News