PERFECTION STILL A SPARK AWAY; TASTY POTENTIAL COULD USE A FEW IMPROVEMENTS.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

Sometimes it's the little things that can make or break a restaurant experience.

Spark, a new rustic Italian-accented eating place emphasizing food cooked primarily by a wood-burning rotisserie, grill and oven, does many of the big things well.

Take, for example, its attractive looks. In the former Il Mito building, an aesthetic art deco structure sadly burned beyond recognition, Spark presents a brand-new, open, airy, woody dining room with a view kitchen behind french doors opening onto a boulevard patio shaded by yellow awnings.

And then there are its smoky roasted meats. These may be seen cooking behind the glass partition, while giving the entire place an alluring scent that sets the palate juices a-flowing.

And how about its enthusiastic staffers, bustling around, trying with all their combined might to make things go well for the crowds of inquisitive diners?

Yet, even with realistically moderate pricing, a generous serving of briny, cured black olives as a free nibble, and several intriguing dishes, Spark needs to take care of a few obvious faults.

The most apparent to me is its incredible noise level. The screech effect of the highly charged crowd is inescapable.

In its opening days, Spark has been packed to the rafters with exuberant diners.

Consequently, with all hard surfaces, not even a tablecloth on its tables, there's nary a quiet spot to be found in the room. And a tip for those who smartly sit outside: Be sure you're not at a table opposite an open French door or that din from within wafts out and engulfs you.

And then there are such minor gaffes as not cutting a pizza all the way through.

In its sibling Alto Palato's tradition, Spark produces outstanding thin-crusted, wood-fired pizzas. But when the topping consists of arugula, prosciutto and shavings of good, dry pecorino cheese, the kitchen shouldn't forget that prosciutto usually needs an extra-sharp knife to cut through its more rubbery parts.

So, why not cut the pizza wedges all the way through with one of those sharp-bladed kitchen gizmos before it gets to the table?

Then there wouldn't be a problem for diners armed with ordinary eating utensils trying to share it.

Also, there seems to be a reluctance to serve bread here. Although, when it does arrive, you understand the hesitancy; it's not that good.

But to its credit, Spark's pizzas ($9 to $12) are generally terrific, as are both soups (cup $2.95, bowl $4.95), a Tuscan country bean and vegetable recipe and the creamy butternut squash.

Ditto for pastas here. They're freshly made from scratch, one being a full-flavored, meaty lasagna ($12.50) prepared in the fashion favored by the late Mauro Vincenti, another a lovely and moist, cheese-sauced canneloni wrapped around wood-fired chicken with mushrooms, creamy ricotta, parmesan and tiny diced vegetables.

My No. 1 entree recommendation would be the mixed rotisserie platter of the chef's choice of meats - one day it was chicken, lamb and pork - a hearty platter for one ($14.95) and available for twosomes ($22.95).

Although the chicken had dried out somewhat, the other two meats were delicious on that occasion.

And a separate order of the roasted chicken ($11.95), perhaps a mite heavy-handed with rosemary, proves that chicken off the spit here can be delivered truly juicy.

Plates are not particularly attractive at Spark. Many are oval, usually holding main ingredients placed dutifully in a row.

Adding to that alluring overall wood-burning smell, roasted onions come with most meat and poultry items. As for Spark's wood-fire cooked vegetables, they're especially tasty when not too carbon-coated.

A dish like herb-crusted halibut ($14.95) should be requested slightly undercooked to avoid dryness. This way you'll love it.

Beef and pork meatloaf called polpettone ($13.95) topped with tomato sauce provides a homey diversion, though on occasion it can be a bit oversalted.

Porchetta, the herb and pepper-crusted pork leg ($13.95), has that welcome tinge of fennel, but also reveals dry parts.

Spark's kitchen may still be experimenting with some items. For instance, the signature Tuscan porterhouse steak ($19.95) seems like a great idea, and its basic taste is superb. But when a thinnish cut has been removed from the wood's fiery heat, it comes to the table drier than it should.

Away from the fire, two salads ($4.50 and $4.95 a half, $7.95 and $8.50 a whole) I tried have been very disappointing.

The ``chopped'' salad at lunchtime displayed some diced tomatoes on torn or cut (not finely chopped as ordered) lettuce in a smallish, nondescript bowl with a few, dry, tasteless polenta cubes and a stingy sprinkling of bleu cheese.

The Caesar I ordered with dinner had the same ``polenta croutons'' and not enough of a rather bland dressing.

But Spark's ``wine flights'' of three three-ounce glasses of wine (vintages not given) provide an interesting beverage diversion at $7.95, $8.50 or $8.95 per flight.

No big deal with desserts here. Best of the limited selection has been a flourless chocolate ``crepe cake'' ($4.50).

In its infancy, Spark indicates lots of potential, needing only a few improvements here and there.

Predictably, it could end up being one of the Valley's most popular eateries.

Yes, those high decibels can be lowered.

And timing of the woodfire cooking certainly can be managed to allow for meat moisture retention.

Meanwhile, the aroma of those roasting meats is distracting enough that just the thought of them makes me want to return.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Spark Woodfire Cooking.

Where: 11801 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

When: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, for dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. nightly, to 11:30 Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Tuscan country bean and vegetable soup, butternut squash soup, margherita thin-crust pizza, herb-crusted halibut, assorted rotisserie meats platter, lasagna di Mauro, canneloni, flourless chocolate ``crepe cake,'' wine flights No. 1 (white) and No. 2 (red).

How much: Starters from $2 to $9, pizzas from $9 to $12, entrees from $10 to $20, desserts $4.50 each. MC, V.

Wine list: Interesting selection of wines (from Austria, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Chile, France and California) designated as light or delicate, medium or full-bodied. Good price range from $14 per bottle. Three wine flight samplers each present three different wines in three-ounce glasses. Corkage: $8.

Reservations: Taken for parties of six or larger. Information: [phone].

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

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Co-owner Danilo Terribili, left, chef Luca Sterpetti and co-owner Bill Chait show off some of their skewered entrees at Spark Woodfire Cooking.

Andy Holzman/Daily News