WHERE WOULD PLATO EAT? BEEF MEETS MOUSSAKA AT GREEK ISLAND.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

THE LATE Ernie Criezis, who personified and founded the Great Greek restaurant in Sherman Oaks (it's still going strong), really set the tone for a successful dinery of its kind in this town.

Criezis, undoubtedly the Valley's answer to Zorba, knew good food. But he also was a showman, a larger-than-life character who hobnobbed with celebrities and rode around town in a white Rolls-Royce.

Other local attempts at Greek cuisine always seem pale in comparison.

The latest, called Greek Island, also in Sherman Oaks, but south of Ventura Boulevard on a busy little strip of Sepulveda Boulevard near the ramp to the 405 Freeway, could use a shot or two of that Criezis ebullience.

This not-so-great Greek is a clean and remodeled facility that for many years housed a Sicilian pizza place. It seems torn on whether it wants to be Greek or a steakhouse.

Yet its steaks are listed way at the bottom of its entree list on a menu that obviously emphasizes beef over lamb.

Even pork seems as important as lamb here.

The kitchen cooks pork pieces in red wine, flavors it with cilantro (coriander) seeds in a dish titled ``afelia'' ($13.95), resulting in a very homey creation paired with bulgur pilaf and veggies. OK, but definitely not mind- blowing.

You might start dinner here with a slightly salty saganaki, the flaming cheese specialty ($6.95), or the preferable halloumi ($5.95), a dryish and small-portioned Cypriot grilled cheese offering.

There's a somewhat overpriced version of the traditional lemon-chicken avgolemono soup ($2.75), and the Greek loukaniko sausage ($5.95) plate is quite plain and unexciting.

No taramasalata, that wonderful Greek fish roe dip, and no assorted appetizer plates.

A fair moussaka ($13.95) entree has layers of eggplant, zucchini, potatoes and ground beef (not lamb) and the usual bechamel sauce. But chicken souvlaki ($14.95), the cubed, marinated, skewered Greek staple, contained both moist and dry pieces one evening.

Rather pasty ovals of keftedes (Greek meatballs, $13.95) and passable gyros (seasoned, pressed lamb and beef mixture, $12.95) sliced and a bit overcooked, reveal decent flavors, though both disappoint in the texture department.

Stick to freshly made Greek salads ($5.95 and up) here and one of my favorite Greek dips, tzadziki ($4.95), at the new Greek Island and you won't go wrong.

Unless, perchance, you're in a beefsteak ($19.95 to $22.95) mood.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com

GREEK ISLAND

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

Where: 4511 Sepulveda Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

Phone: [phone].

Meals/hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Friday, for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly, to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Food type: Greek and steaks.

Cost: Starters from $2.75 to $6.95. Entrees from $12.95 to $22.95. Desserts $3.95 each.

Credit cards: AE, MC, V.

Patio dining: Yes, in rear.

Parking/valet: Self-parking in rear lot and street.

Full bar: No. Beer (Aris, Keo and Hillas, $3.50 each) and wine only.

Wine/corkage: 15 Greek wines (six whites, seven reds and two retsinas) from $10 to $55. Corkage: $5.

Music/entertainment: None. Plans to offer live Greek music and dancing in September.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on both.

Reservations: Taken but not always essential.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) The moussaka, top, includes beef instead of lamb at Greek Island, where the traditional Greek salad, above, is one of the Sherman Oaks restaurant's better choices.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News