LOTS OF REASONS TO LIKE LUCY'S 51.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

The old Money Tree in Toluca Lake is kaput. New money has come in from back East to transform the former Italian restaurant and jazz club into a zingy bar and eatery called Lucy's 51.

In the one-time red-boothed spot that was, reportedly, built in 1951 by Moe Howard, one of the Three Stooges, the color theme is basic black, causing its interior to be mysterious and low-lit.

While the bar area brightens up somewhat from four TV screens (eight more coming) and a neon ``cocktails'' sign, the adjacent candlelit dining tables remain in the dark, making it dim enough to need a flashlight to read the menu.

But it's definitely worth the squint.

Though currently limited to four appetizers, one soup, four salads, four sandwiches (two of them burgers) and five entrees, the Lucy's menu is a commendable example of the do-little-

but-do-it-well school of culinary endeavor.

In a place where drink sales are obviously more important -- the name Lucy's 51 refers to 51 varieties of martini -- the food is surprisingly well-crafted.

You might expect the usual nachos and potato skins on the appetizer list.

Not here.

Lucy's surprising kitchen sends out deliciously marinated portobello mushroom caps ($8.45), for example, in a deep bowl paired with a mix of roasted sweet red peppers, candied pecans and gorgonzola cheese along with fresh baby greens.

Four thick medallions of pan-seared loin of sashimi-grade ahi tuna ($10.95) arrives handsomely perched on a bed of cold soba noodles tossed in a spicy Thai-style peanut sauce for another starter triumph.

This dish is boosted with a julienned carrot garnish plus a green onion and mango salsa and a drizzle of sesame oil.

More down-to-earth, the house Caesar salad ($9.95), appears to be a passable version. In the entree department, the char-grilled, organic, corn-fed Iowa pork loin chop ($22.95) is probably the best of the main-course quintet.

Lucy's kitchen serves it Normandy-style with a rich, apple-flavored Calvados sauce. Its thickness, juiciness, texture and flavor simply add up to one of the finest pork chop renditions tasted this year. And totally unexpected in a facility where cocktails reign.

Not far behind is Lucy's version of chicken piccata ($19.95). Good-

quality scallops

of white-meat chicken are lightly breaded and pan sauteed with shallots, chopped Italian parsley, garlic, capers, lemon, white wine and butter.

Carefully cooked, they come forth springy and moist, the lemony wine flavors teasing the palate. They sit provocatively on a mound of angel hair pasta, the result a comforting dish of extraordinary satisfaction.

And speaking of satisfaction, the house steak offering provides one more surprise. The 10-ounce filet aux poivres ($24.95) is not only thick and tender, it's prime. Sent out charred to order with a lively, creamed pepper sauce, it's as gratifying a steak as one would find for $10 more at an upscale steak house. And most of those steak houses charge extra for an accompaniment.

Here it's inclusive, possibly the best choice being the parsleyed, sauteed potatoes.

For those in a prime-beef mood, but not hungry enough for a full-size main course, Lucy's char-grills a 1/2-pound burger to order, utilizing a prime, aged, ground-beef patty on an artisan bun ($10.95). It comes with a choice of cheese (white cheddar or Swiss) and an addition of bacon, mushrooms, grilled onion or avocado.

Endings at Lucy's are presently limited to two selections ($6.95 each). One is a tasty rendition of pumpkin cheesecake, the other a chocolate mousse cake.

Both were available at the most recent visit, a noisy night when they were three deep at the bar. Yet there were still a few dining tables available.

Those folks at the bar who preferred drinking over eating didn't know what they were missing.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

[e-mail]

LUCY'S 51

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

Where: 10149 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake.

Phone: [phone].

Meals/hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Food type: New American.

Cost: $$.

Credit cards: All major.

Patio dining: Yes, sidewalk in front.

Parking/valet: Street and rear of building. Valet Thursday through Saturday.

Full bar: Yes.

Wine/corkage: Initial list is limited. Expanded selection promised. Corkage: $10.

Music/entertainment: Live entertainment Sunday nights.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout. Local lunch delivery.

Reservations: Recommended, especially on weekends.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Lucy's 51, new on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, has 51 martini varieties.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer