CATCH A WAVE OF SEAFOOD JOY.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

In its first weeks, the Wave in Encino created an impact, though not of tsunami proportions.

Replacing Trilussa, this is a seafood house in progress, directed by one of this town's well-known restaurateurs, Giuseppe Bellisario, a former Scandia maitre d' who owned the upscale ristorante Giuseppe on Beverly Boulevard (now Atlantic) for several years.

Bellisario brought his Giuseppe chef Franco Montalvo to head the Wave's kitchen.

In its earliest days, Pacific lobster was on the menu, but it's been replaced by Maine lobster. Perhaps the latter doesn't dry out as quickly when grilled over mesquite.

And the whole Maine, weighing about a pound ($18.50) and steamed, is the perfect example of how something cooked simply and effectively can be so enjoyable.

One thing about Montalvo's kitchen, there's no hesitation in replacing a denizen deemed tepid, or dry, or slightly off in taste.

Monkfish ($15.50) came up barely warm one evening. It was whisked away and a steaming hot version was delivered a few minutes later.

Luckily, fish usually tastes better when it's a mite undercooked. And this monkfish certainly did.

Noticeably, the kitchen doesn't spend a lot of time on plate arrangements, indicating a somewhat old-fashioned approach. Instead, the entrees are presented in a fairly straightforward manner, often on oval plates, and sometimes with side plates of the chosen accompaniments (rice, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables or sliced tomatoes).

A nice touch is the crunchy, warm sourdough loaf on a board that comes to the table with a serrated knife for slicing.

And an even nicer touch is that soup (chowders or minestrone) or a house salad are included in the price of the entree.

One of the Wave's better dishes is the Atlantic salmon cooked in parchment ($17.50) in olive oil and white wine, sprinkled with tarragon and minced shallots and nestled on diced carrots, celery and onions.

When the package is cut open at the table, a gust of good smells bursts forth, although the first time the dish was tried, the salmon was off-tasting.

When tried again a few days later, it was both a dramatic and delightful dish.

Incidentally, a good white wine companion to this salmon dish is the Eos '97 sauvignon blanc ($18).

But if you decide to bring your own wine, the Wave, to its credit, charges only $5 corkage.

Incidentally, this lone sauvignon blanc on the current list goes well with the nicely wrought house lobster bisque ($3.95), a delicate Dungeness crab cakes appetizer (two per order, $6.95) and also an entree dish of pasta ``jambalaya'' ($13.95), a peppery-sauced mixture of noodles (angel hair, linguine or spaghetti) with moist chicken pieces and a couple of shrimps.

For non-fish eaters there's a respectable rotisseried half chicken ($9.95), also a New York steak ($17.50) and several popular pasta choices ($7.95 each).

And the Wave broadens its customer base by serving a number of salads and sandwiches, pizzas, even a trio of sushi-style rolls, on its all-day menu.

It also promises an oyster bar arrangement at the regular bar in the future. Orders of oysters (four large, raw Bluepoints $6.50) taken at the cocktail bar now come out of the kitchen.

The Wave is an attractive place, sporting a row of French doors opening onto the street on one side and a boulevard patio in front.

Its aquarium has a tiny replica of the Titanic in it, and there's a refreshing, cooling waterfall screen between the bar and dining areas.

The view kitchen spans most of the back and one side of the dining room, with white-toqued cooks and the head chef shown zealously at work creating their ocean splendors.

Service seems to improve at each visit, being stretched to its limits on busy weekend nights, and very accommodating during weekday lunch hours.

Desserts are shown on one of those display trays of basically popular endings. They have a fresher, more attractive appearance at lunchtime, but tend to get a little tired looking later at night.

You'll find creme brulee, tiramisu, apple pie (ask for it heated) and the like. And the young-of-palate probably will go for the Snickers cheesecake ($4.50).

The Wave is here, and believe me, you don't have to be a surfer type to enjoy it.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: The Wave Seafood Bar & Grill.

Where: 16925 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily except Sunday, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Behind the scenes: Giuseppe Bellisario is co-owner and host.

Recommended items: Crab cakes, soups (chowders, lobster bisque, minestrone), mesquite-grilled salmon, monkfish, Chilean sea bass, Atlantic salmon in parchment, Maine lobster, rotisserie chicken, pasta jambalaya, Snickers cheesecake.

How much: Starters from $3.50 to $8, sandwiches and pizzas from $7 to $10, pastas and entrees from $8 to $22.50, desserts from $3 to $6. Full bar. All major credit cards.

Wine list: Reasonably priced (18 bottles at $20 or under) compact, 34-label starting list with several intriguing selections, but has too few white varietals - mostly chardonnay - for a seafood house, including only one sauvignon blanc. No muscadet, pinot blanc or French chablis yet. Nine wines by the glass. Corkage: $5 per bottle.

Reservations: Suggested. [phone].

Our rating: Three Stars for food; Three Stars for service; Three Stars for wine.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: The Wave Seafood Bar & Grill co-owner and host Giuseppe Bellisario, left, chef Franco Montalvo and co-owner Giovanni Bellisario present a few of the Encino restaurant's specialties.

Terri Thuente/Daily News