SIMI DINING STUDY SHOWS DICHOTOMY OF DELICACY.

Byline: Douglas Clark Daily News Staff Writer

Local diners don't always put their money where their mouth is, according to a recent study analyzing restaurant preferences in Simi Valley.

In the six-page ``Survey of Simi Valley Dining Preferences'' authored by Daric Brummett and his wife, Patricia O'Donnell, 50 randomly selected residents said they prefer upscale dinner houses or ethnic restaurants.

But what kind of eatery do they frequent? A grill.

``If you look at it, there does seem to be an inconsistency. They want the upscale dining, but they're not inclined to go to an upscale establishment on a regular basis,'' Brummett said. ``That may explain why we've had some restaurants come and go.''

Brummett, a 32-year-old Simi Valley native who runs Pyramid Research, conducted the survey in early December. The sampling of 50 residents represents more than 600 retail dining experiences per month in Simi Valley, where there are more than 150 restaurants.

Residents were asked questions about attributes important to the dining experience - food quality, service, price - and dining preferences.

The study also revealed that 35 percent of those surveyed have an all-time favorite restaurant right here in Simi Valley. He said that was a promising indicator.

``When you talk about favorites, people tend to hark back to really nice experiences that they've had. And that can involve travel,'' he said. ``I think it's pretty impressive that Simi Valley can hold the fancy of 35 percent of its diners without having to go to a Pasadena or Santa Monica. I thought we'd be talking 10 or 15 percent.''

Brummett said he hopes the survey will help entrepreneurs who want to open a restaurant here, and owners of existing businesses that want to expand or improve their menus.

Nancy Bender, head of the chamber of commerce, said the survey, which was done without charge, should be a great help to business people.

``I'm pleased to have this, because we often get asked why don't we have this or that restaurant,'' she said. ``We just can't wait for the first person who comes in here and says they want to open a restaurant in Simi Valley.''

The first thing restaurateurs will want to ponder is the Dining Category Preferences part of the survey.

Although 31 percent of respondents said they preferred an ethnic restaurant or dinner house - defined as an upscale sit-down restaurant that serves multiple cuisines - only 15 percent frequent a dinner house, while 23 percent seek out ethnic food.

Meanwhile, only 23 percent said a grill was their favorite spot, yet 36 percent often eat at this type of restaurant, which includes barbecue and steak houses.

In other categories, 21 percent said they frequent convenience, or fast-food, restaurants; 5 percent eat at coffee shops.

Brummett, a 1984 graduate of Simi Valley High School, said the contradiction between preference and actual choice of restaurant doesn't necessarily mean Simi Valley residents are cheap.

On a scale of 1 to 5, price of food garnered what he called a moderate rating of 3.8. More important to the respondents was food taste and quality of service, 4.8 and 4.3, respectively.

Nor does it mean that an upscale restaurant couldn't succeed in Simi Valley, he said.

``Upscale dining can exist in Simi. And since price is only moderately important, they will have patronage. Clearly, there's a strong enough economy here,'' he said. ``But to get a steady clientele more work needs to be done to tell where those folks are.''

Josephine Katrakazos, who for eight years has operated Giovanni's restaurant with her husband, Greg, agrees with that finding.

``A lot of people say there's no good restaurants here,'' she said. ``But I don't think they've really taken a good look.''

Part of the problem, Katrakazos said, is poor location. New high-profile shopping areas charge exorbitant rents, while the strip-mall ambience in Simi Valley doesn't suggest quality dining. Giovanni's is located in Pepper Tree Plaza on Los Angeles Avenue.

``The inside is fabulous,'' she said. ``But customers have to come in the restaurant to see it.''

Flemming Larsen, proprietor of Dakota's Mesquite BBQ & Steakhouse, which opened last summer, said the survey supports what he learned about residents while growing up in Simi Valley.

``They're smart customers,'' he said. ``They want to have a quality experience. The secret is, give them a good price.''