SMALL BITES ALCAZAR'S FRESH SCENT.

Byline: - Larry Lipson

If you happen to be walking through the Plaza de Oro in Encino on a weekend and smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread, it's probably coming from the patio of Alcazar. The Middle Eastern restaurant bakes its own authentic, thin Lebanese lavash bread.

Alcazar, 17239 Ventura Blvd., has improved its kebabs and introduced several new dishes, including toshka (spiced ground beef topped with cheese and grilled in pita bread, $6.95), batata harra (french fries in a spicy garlic and cilantro sauce, $4.95), makdoos (aged small eggplant stuffed with nuts, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, chiles and olive oil, $6.95), bandoora jabaliyyi (large organic tomato topped with special spices and olive oil, $4.95 and $6.95) and a seasonal zeitoon salad (pitted green olives in a spicy pepper and pomegranate sauce-paste with fresh zaatar leaves, pine nuts, chopped onion and olive oil, $5.95).

Zaatar, the strong, pungent, aromatic Middle Eastern herb with dark green leaves, is also used with spices and halloumi cheese in a grilled pita bread offering ($5.95) and is placed on top of that warm, fresh lavash ($6.95) on weekends.

Information or reservations: [phone].

SIPS & NIBBLES: Local wine fanciers, happy to see Beverages & More! in two new Valley locations, will be scouting for wine bargains, so we decided to help out.

Wilfred Wong, who rates the wines for the entire chain, tells us that he recommends one great under-$10 bargain red currently available at the affectionately nicknamed BevMo! stores.

Wong, who gives it a 92 out of 100 rating, unhesitatingly suggests the 2000 Bishop's Peak syrah, priced at $9.99, that he describes as ``ripe and full of fruit.''

He says it's made by the highly respected pinot noir and chardonnay producer Talley Vineyards of Arroyo Grande, Calif.

That in itself should be reason enough to try it.

It's available at the following BevMo! stores: 6520 Canoga Ave., Canoga Park, [phone]; 5820 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, [phone]; and 111 S. Westlake Blvd., Thousand Oaks, [phone].

NAPKIN NOTES: Chef Berty Siegels, onetime chef-owner of Berty's in Brentwood, has surfaced as the new chef at Pacific Dining Car, 1310 W. Sixth St., near downtown Los Angeles. Information and reservations: [phone]. ... Amici Brentwood Trattoria, sister to the original Amici in Beverly Hills, recently opened at 2538 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood. These are evidently not related to the Ameci Pizza places in and around the San Fernando Valley. Brentwood information and reservations: (310 260-4900. ... Three ciabatta baguette-style, deli-type meat and cheese sandwiches called Pannidos ($4.39 each) have been introduced at participating Jack in the Box restaurants. Information: www.jackinthebox.com.