WHEN IN NOHO, EAT THE ECLECTIC WAY; READY FOR GREEK-SALAD PIZZA? WITH THIS MENU, LOCAL THEATER DINING HAS COME INTO ITS OWN.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

As the NoHo Arts District gains momentum and acceptance, so does Brian Sheehan's Eclectic Cafe.

Originally a restaurant that seemed more concerned with entertainment than food, it has matured since its 1992 debut into a pretty reliable eating place offering a modern menu of salads, sandwiches, pastas and pizzas plus a handful of chicken and above-average seafood entree plates.

Eclectically speaking, it's the kind of place where diners can feel at ease ordering appetizers and beer, or going full tilt with a complete meal of three courses and a bottle of wine.

And it certainly possesses attractive looks with its curved walls and unusually shaped, partially lowered ceiling.

Theatergoers attending one of the several playhouses in the area have no trouble enjoying a quick meal here before the play, or returning afterward for a leisurely repast.

It's not unusual to see young actors or actresses engrossed in learning their lines while munching on an Eclectic nosh.

Owner Brian Sheehan, who claims to have used credit cards to finance his initial entry into the restaurant business, was originally the chef here.

Sheehan, whose father, David Sheehan, is a well-known local-television movie critic and entertainment reporter and was once a newspaper restaurant columnist, has left the kitchen of late to be a full-time owner-host. Sensibly, he still keeps a close eye on the food preparation.

As for what's best here, my recommendation is to stick as much as possible to the grilled fish and pastas.

The No. 1 example - tuna - also happens to be one of the most expensive entrees.

The kitchen produces an excellent seared ahi tuna steak ($14.95). Make sure you insist on it being very rare. It is glazed with a delightful ginger, soy and sesame seed mixture. The meaty slab of fish arrives with a serving of seasoned rice (here dubbed risotto) and an array of nicely executed fresh vegetables.

Of the starters tried, the most impressive has been the strips of grilled portobello mushroom ($5.95) - ironically, as meaty as the tuna - which are delivered on a bed of salad greens.

Incidentally, for diners who want to avoid real meat but are hungry for same, the portobello and tuna dishes provide extremely worthy substitutes.

Soups are pretty good here as well. The house vegetable soup (cup $3.25, bowl $4.25) is delivered chock-full of crunchy vegetables in a tasty broth.

During one recent visit, soupy satisfaction was served up in the form of a creamy potato-leek soup du jour (cup $3.25, bowl $4.25).

Chicken- and vegetable-stuffed potstickers ($5.95) were deemed merely passable one time, and the Eclectic's rendition of chicken satay ($5.95) can be awfully dry, even with its flavorful peanutty dipping sauce.

The basic Caesar salad ($4.95 or $6.95) here receives an OK vote. And it can be enhanced at extra cost ($1.95 to $4.95) with sun-dried tomatoes, blackened sea scallops, grilled chicken or Cajun grilled chicken.

But surprisingly effective are the pastas. Couldn't find fault with ridged (rigate) penne noodles ($8.95) in a delicious kalamata olive-garlic-basil sauce with roma tomatoes and feta cheese one night. And the Bolognese sauce with properly cooked linguine ($8.95) proved the perfect companion to a glass of Chianti. If you're adventurous enough to try a salad on a pizza, Eclectic's Greek-salad pizza ($9.95) shows up handsomely as a fresh-tasting floury crust topped dramatically with chopped spinach, roma tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, feta cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Strange, you say.

I liked it.

Evidently I'm not alone, because it tops the list of pizzas.

As for endings, probably the most gratifying finish here consists of the premises-baked all-American apple pie along with one of the assortment of coffees or teas. My preference always seems to be the cafe latte ($2.75).

But if you're a true eclectic, from a food and drink standpoint of course, you'll undoubtedly try just about all the dishes and beverages at this restaurant before you arrive at your own preferences.

Eclecticism can be fun.

The facts

The restaurant: Eclectic Cafe.

Where: 5156 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.

When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Behind the scenes: Brian Sheehan is founder-owner.

Recommended items: Grilled portobello mushroom strips on greens, soups, penne rigate, linguine Bolognese, Greek-salad pizza, grilled ahi tuna.

How much: Starters and salads from $3.25 to $10, pastas and entrees from $8 to $15, desserts from $1 to $5.

Wine list: The best buys on the 36-label, vintage-dated list are the Chilean wines, one a $16, '97 sauvignon blanc and three others (merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay) at $18 each, but very young '98s. Silver Ridge '96 cabernet sauvignon is a well-made red wine but will set you back $26 for a bottle. No great bargains here. However, there are six beers on tap ($3.75 each) and 14 wines by the glass ($4.50 to $7). Corkage: $8.

Reservations: Helpful. Call [phone].

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

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Photo

Photo: Eclectic Cafe chef Fernando Lopez whips up angel hair pasta and scampi dishes, above and at right, in addition to more unusual fare such as a Greek-salad pizza and a terrific dish of grilled portobello mushroom strips on greens.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News