SLICE OF HEAVEN AT ANGELINO.

Byline: Larry Lipson

>Restaurant Critic

Angelo Disanto is a pretty good Italian chef.

He had limited success at his Frascati ristorante in Woodland Hills (now Ritrovo) and later in Studio City at Angelino Cucina (replaced by Outtake Bistro).

Now he's turned up again operating a tiny pizzeria, also called Angelino's, in North Hollywood.

His pizzas are as good as they've ever been, displaying the fresh, slightly floury, chewy crust and flavorful toppings that separate the pizza men from the pizza boys.

I like his simple cheese pizza (medium $8.75, large $11.25) which reveal restraint and balance, not overwhelming you with too much cheese or tomato sauce, just the right amount of each, and thankfully not too gummy.

For those with more exotic or specialized tastes, there's a shrimp topping ($17.95 and $23.95), a seafood topping ($24.95 only), a Hawaiian topping ($21.50 only) and a vegetarian pizza ($11.95 and $14.95).

His regular crust holds the toppings nicely, but he'll bake it thin if you want, and he'll add extra stuff like sausage, mushrooms, anchovies, pepperoni and more for $1.95 per topping on a large or $1.45 on a small pie.

Angelino, a no-frills, little storefront spot on Lankershim Boulevard, up the street from Universal Studios, has a handful of tables inside, a couple outside. You order and pay at the counter in advance, certainly not the "fine dining" promised by its Web site.

But it's definitely better fare most of the time than you'd expect from such an unassuming place.

Pastas arrive hot and al dente with tasty, well-seasoned sauces. Even the meatballs option -- sausage is the alternative -- with the spaghetti plate ($8.50) show up with a springy texture, nicely meaty, thankfully lacking that pasty breaded filling that too many meatballs have in similar pizzerias.

Disanto's kitchen cooks its chicken properly, with tender and deliciously moist pieces arriving in its pollo marsala ($11.50).

Grilled swordfish ($12.50) topped with diced tomato is somewhat less satisfying, though at this price, one can't really expect a masterpiece.

Most plates come with a small, leafy salad, and foccaccia is brought to the table as a beginning nibble.

Large pitchers of soda ($4.50) provide a sensible family-sharing beverage. There are also a couple of soups, a trio of salad options and spumoni or a pastry for a sweet ending.

And for the local solo eater, Angelino has been thoughtfully selling pizza by the slice.

At its best: Pizzas, pastas and pollo plates as good as the town's full-service, ristorante versions.

Could be better: Swordfish, unless improved, could go and wouldn't be missed.

ANGELINO PIZZERIA EXPRESS - Three stars

>Details: 4384 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 9p.m. weekdays, from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. [phone]. www.angelinopizzeria.com

>Cost: Starters from $3.50 and $4.50, sandwiches $6.50, pizzas from $8.75 to $21.50, entrees and pastas from $6.50 to 13.50, desserts $3.50 and $3.95.

>Noteworthy: If it's successful, will Angelo Disanto sell it and move on like he did with his previous restaurants?

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) A Caprese pizza made with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil is served at Angelino Pizzeria Express in North Hollywood.

(2) Angelino offers more than pizza: The shrimp salad is filled with shrimp and fresh vegetables and finished with a dressing of olive oil, lemon and balsamic vinegar.

EVAN YEE >STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER