MEAT ME IN SIMI BARTON'S HAS THE CHOPS, BUT DON'T FORGET YOUR WALLET.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

PRIME STEAKS in Simi may have some saying, ``So what?''

But to passionate beef fanciers, of which there are no doubt quite a few who are Simi Valley residents, news that the new Barton's Steak & Seafood is serving the finest cuts of meat could be momentous.

But Barton's is treading on thin ice no matter how thick its steaks are.

First of all, it charges around the same prices for its steaks ($20 to $32) as some of the top Westside restaurants. And both you and I know that there's got to be a rather obvious rent difference.

Even its pastas begin at $16 for the simplest linguine with tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil.

Although the steak entree price includes a house salad (the Italian dressing is the best choice, the blue cheese the worst) and a baked potato, there are absolutely no alternatives allowed.

Consequently, if you want soup instead of salad, you pay extra. If you want vegetables instead of potato you pay extra.

At these prices, shouldn't the kitchen remove the foil wrapping around its baked potato before serving it?

Tacky! Tacky!

Not helping its rather feeble attempt at being upscale, certain Simi diners do some image damage here by wearing shorts or worn jeans on their Saturday night out.

In fact, one night recently, the sharpest dresser in the house was the tuxedoed piano player.

To its credit, Barton's dining room, bathed in pinlights and themed in wood rose and green tones, has drawn respectable weekend crowds in its initial weeks.

There will be some detractors who suggest that Ruth's Chris and Arnie Morton's are worth traveling the extra miles. Barton's kitchen, though sometimes a trifle slow, makes an applaudable effort at delivering respectable slabs of somewhat juicy USDA prime.

And it cooks a good piece of fish.

Probably the best main-course plate in a party of four one night was the board special halibut Neptune ($25.95) offering paired with scalloped potatoes.

Everyone else ordered meat.

A veal chop ($18.95) possessed lovely, moist, tender, white meat where it wasn't fatty. A New York ($24.95) topped with mushrooms was deemed satisfying, if not the best ever had. Only the rib eye ($27.95), ordered blood rare, elicited slight mutterings of complaint by its purist patron.

At an ensuing visit, a handsome rack of lamb ($24.95) came forth with a red-toned vinegary sauce. Only problem was that the chops hadn't been pre-cut by the chef, which meant that the diner had to be a bit of a butcher.

This process required holding onto the cooked whole rack somehow, while cutting off each chop individually, thus making it possible to eat them with some dignity.

After all this holding and cutting, the discovery that the rack had been delivered blood rare instead of pink, gave the diner a reason to take most of it home.

Yet also that evening, the prime filet ($31.95), listed as king size and said to be around 11 ounces, proved to be a fairly tasty steak treat, nicely wrapped in bacon, topped with mushrooms.

Both the bowl of clam chowder ($5.95) and half a dozen escargots ($7.95), two a la carte starters, were pretty good too.

But my Barton's dinner bill for two with my own wine ($15 corkage), tax and tip ran over $100.

I might as well have been in Beverly Hills.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com

BARTON'S STEAK & SEAFOOD

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

Where: 1627 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley.

Hours: Open for dinner only from 4 to 9 p.m. nightly.

Recommended items: Clam chowder, filet mignon, New York steak, halibut, veal chop.

How much: Starters from $4 to $16, entrees from $14 to $32 (higher for some market priced plates). Full bar. All major credit cards accepted.

Wine list: Fairly good range in style and pricing on beginning list. Bottles from $19 and up. Corkage: $15.

Reservations: Taken. Call [phone].

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Photo:

A steak at Barton's Steak & Seafood costs between $20 and $32, but lovers of a quality cut of meat may find the kitchen's efforts worthy of the price.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer