SOUTH AMERICAN SPLENDOR COLOMBIAN FARE OF NORTH HOLLYWOOD'S LA MARIA A CREDIT TO ITS COUNTRY.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

DON'T ASK FOR a bottle of Colombian beer to accompany your Colombian food at La Maria in North Hollywood, because usually there is none in stock - even though it's listed on the menu.

But there are Dutch (Heineken), Mexican (Corona) and domestic (Miller and Budweiser) brews to sip with your complimentary chips and salsa at dinner time.

Once past the beverage dilemma, though, La Maria comes through with some very tasty Colombian food as well as a number of well-crafted familiar dishes under the menu heading ``Cuisine of the Americas.''

A worthy example of the latter is a duo of ``tamales de elote'' ($3.50), delicious fresh corn renditions accompanied by a tomatillo dipping salsa and sour cream and served as an appetizer.

It's a great way to start a meal at La Maria. And worth noting for the future is that these superb meatless, naturally sweet tamales are also available as a threesome on an entree plate ($8.95).

The kitchen produces hot, nutritious soups that can be had in regular or large (entree-size) portions.

Sancocho ($5.95 or $8.95) has chunks of beef in it with yuca, potato and green plantain plus a side serving of rice, avocado, arepa (corn-flour patty) and lettuce.

And the chicken soup ($3.50 or $5.50) is just as flavorful.

Newcomers to La Maria should try the house specialties.

Picada ($12.50 or $19.50) arrives as a colorful, hefty portion of lots of good stuff: pieces of beefsteak (carne asada), two types of sausage (blood and chorizo), crunchy chicharrones (deep-fried pork crisps), little potatoes, yuca, patacones (fried green plantain) and tomato.

Bandeja paisa ($10.99) is also a homey plate filled with steak, fried pork skin, rice, beans, a fried egg, avocado, fried banana and arepa.

A wholesome, savory main course is the lovely, tender, marinated tongue (lengua, $9.75) with squash also accompanied by plenty of starchy items (rice, potato, yuca and arepa).

But the can't-miss dish, the crowning achievement of La Maria, is unquestionably its cazuela de mariscos ($10.99), a sort of seafood stew, creamy and wonderful; a soupy bowl filled with shrimp, red snapper and calamari. Absolutely delicious.

End with the sweet higo fruit called ``brevas'' ($2.75), something between a kiwi and fig, paired with arequipe, the thick Colombian sweet custard, and you'll go home happy.

Believe me.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com

LA MARIA

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

Where: 10516 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood.

Hours: Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Colombian specialties: Sancocho criollo, chicken soup with vegetables, fresh corn tamales, cazuela de mariscos, lengua en salsa criolla, bandeja paisa, picada, brevas con arequipe.

How much: Starters from $1 to $12, pastas and entrees from $9 to $19.50, desserts from $2.50 to $43.75. Breakfasts from $3 to $6. Beer and wine. MC, V.

Wine list: No actual list, just a menu listing of house chardonnay or cabernet by the glass ($5) or bottle ($18). Aguila, Club Colombia and Pitchel Refajo beers listed, but not available at two visits.

Reservations: Accepted. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) Antonio Prado, owner of La Maria in North Hollywood, displays three of his restaurant's dishes, including picada (inset), a colorful assortment of meats, deep-fried pork crisps, potatoes, yuca, plantain and tomato.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News