TUSCANY COMES TO THE BOULEVARD; GIOIA OFFERS DIFFERENT KIND OF ITALIAN TASTE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

Pronounced ``joy-ya,'' Gioia - meaning ``happiness'' - a new ristorante in Woodland Hills, thankfully doesn't add to the overabundant list of Italian restaurants hereabout, it merely replaces one.

Stepping into the little hidden site previously called DiGennaro's, Gioia retains the somewhat romantic physical qualities of its predecessor while supplementing its familiar Italian fare with a touch of Florentine culinary artistry.

Chef Giuseppe Scalia, who has cooked at the Grand Hotel in Florence, creates tasty Tuscan Italian food, some of which puts Gioia's efforts distinctively apart from the customary Italian offerings at other establishments along Ventura Boulevard.

His pastas, for example, include such intrigues as freshly made-from-scratch pappardelle noodles tossed in a wild boar sauce ($10.75) that's rich, meaty and the perfect accompaniment to a bold red wine. Gnocchilike ricotta cheese and spinach dumplings, called ``gnudi Toscani'' ($9.75), are served up in a lilting, fresh tomato sauce.

His other entree-size pastas ($9.75 to $13.75), none of them really boring repeats of the puttanesca or arabbiatta plates seen everywhere now, include tagliolini in a vegetable ragu, fettuccine with lobster, linguine and clams with bottarga (pressed roe) and artichokes, agnolotti stuffed with cheese and baby squash flowers in a truffle sauce, and ear-shaped orecchiette with broccoli rabe, sausage and buffalo mozzarella.

Particularly impressive is the fettuccine all'astice ($13.75) plate of smooth, fresh, wet noodles, cooked to correct firmness and handsomely presented with the red lobster shell, holding a reasonable portion of lobster, green-hued zucchini and more of Scalia's full-flavored, fresh tomato sauce.

There's a well-executed risotto of the day - one time it was a simple but effective primavera. And the kitchen wisely sticks with a couple of those homey Italian shank dishes that Americans love so much today (osso buco - veal shank - and braised lamb shank). Why are these dishes so popular? Probably because nobody stays home to do any prolonged cooking anymore.

But chef Scalia again departs from the norm by baking seafood in parchment with a tomato broth for his triumphant, steaming hot zuppa di pesce (fish soup, $19.75) that arrives dramatically covered by a peel-back pastry crust.

And he uses strawberries with balsamic vinegar to flavor a singular roasted duck recipe ($15.75).

For starters, his soups ($5.50 and $6), mostly vegetable creations, one being an intense cream of carrot creation, certainly satisfy. And he fashions delicious little croquettes from eggplant and pairs them with mixed baby greens ($6.75).

He also produces little purses from thin-sliced bresaola (air-dried, pressed, salted beef) that he fills with goat cheese and chives and scatters about half a dozen of them on baby greens for a memorable, shareable beginning dish called fagottino di bresaola ($8.75).

But all these good appetizers may be deemed unnecessary by those diners with smaller appetites. Complimentary bruschetta comes to the table for pre-prandial nibbling, allowing relaxed, just-seated dinner patrons time to peruse and discuss the menu.

Scalia's only weak dish experienced to date is a rather bland, casserole-style, disappointing melange of boneless pieces of chicken with bits of asparagus and potato ($14.75).

It might have worked better if served as a stewlike, heaping, deeper bowl with more assertive seasoning instead of its somewhat shallow presentation of something resembling kiddie fare.

As for sweet endings, whether you order a perfectly sculpted fruit tart or the ubiquitous tiramisu, you'll also receive a small tray of cookies as a parting gesture.

This comes as no surprise. Co-owner-host Nunzio Donato Ciaraulo circulates throughout the dining room, constantly checking on customer satisfaction, making sure his kitchen and fledgling waiting staff pleases patrons from start (free bruschetta) to finish (free cookies).

It's his way of bringing Gioia to the world.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Gioia.

Where: 20969 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills.

When: Open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. nightly except Sunday, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Soups, fagottino di bresaola (thin-dried beef wrapped around goat cheese), fettuccine with lobster and zucchini, ricotta and spinach dumplings in fresh tomato sauce, pappardelle pasta with wild boar sauce, risotto of the day, pastry-covered bowl of fish soup with seafood cooked in parchment, fruit tart.

How much: Starters from $5.50 to $10, pastas and entrees from $9.75 to $19.75, desserts $5 and $6 each. Prix-fixe lunch with soup or salad, choice of pasta and soft drink $12.75. Full bar. AE, MC, V, Transmedia.

Wine list: Single page of 43 labels, mostly Italians and Californians, reasonably priced with 11 bottles under $20. No vintage dates, though, and 10 by-the-glass offerings from $3.50 to $6.50. Everyday Ruffino Chianti ($20) is a pleasant red choice. Corkage fee $7.

Reservations: Helpful. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three and one half stars for food; Three stars for service; Two and one half stars for wine.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

Photo: (1) Co-owner Donato Ciaraulo, left, and chef Giuseppe Scalia veer off the usual Italian path by offering Tuscan-style dishes at their new Gioia restaurant in Woodland Hills.

(2) Fettuccine all'astice features fresh, wet noodles and a lobster shell holding lobster, zucchini and fresh tomato sauce.

(3) Zuppa di pesce is a fish soup covered by a pastry crust.