YA JUANA TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT? MAMA JUANA'S OFFERS UP TEMPTING TAPAS IN NIGHTCLUB ATMOSPHERE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

REMEMBER GRAZING? It was the rage a few years ago.

But now, any restaurant that specializes in small-portioned plates calls them tapas, even if they don't remotely resemble those famous little bites of Spain.

Tapaslike plates, many with a decided Spanish accent, have emerged as the specialty at a new supper club in Studio City called Mama Juana's.

Calling itself a Latino lounge rather than a restaurant, Mama Juana's took over the former Athens By Night space, one of the few second-story eating and drinking places left where customers enter at street level and walk up a steep flight of carpeted stairs to get to the welcoming area. Apparently, there's no elevator.

In true nightclub fashion, Mama Juana's has its bar and cocktail lounge area adjacent to the entrance, then a large dance floor and stage, the dance floor lined with raised booths to accommodate serious diners, drinkers and dancers who want to be closer to the entertainment on stage.

Tables and chairs with elaborate wrought-iron backs also ring the dance floor on the same level.

Food tends to arrive in bunches even if a soup is ordered.

A jalapeno-spiced black bean soup with a sprinkling of crabmeat ($6.95) is thick and beany, more stewlike than soupy. Salads are passed up, and from the vegetarian and cheese tapas page a couple of pudgy, thick-skinned quesadillas stuffed with zucchini blossoms and cheeses ($6.95) come forth with a green-hued, zingy tomatillo dipping salsa.

This salsa should not be confused with the tart, addictive chimichurri sauce of the same color but different texture that the kitchen sends out with its small (5-ounce) cut of New York steak ($10.95).

Though they didn't seem fresh, soft and ripe one night, the opportunity to sample manchego, cabrales and a three-milk cheese, all three from Spain ($11.95) was too good to pass up. At their best, these Spanish cheeses are incomparable. At their worst, they're better than many.

Manchego reappears on a sandwich ($9.95) of sorts, actually sliced country bread, toasted to crunchiness after being spread with tomato paste and garlic olive oil and topped with Spain's serrano ham and sliced manchego cheese.

The albondigas here is not the soup of Mexico but the meatballs of Spain ($6.95) made with ground pork and veal, seasoned and brought forth with a spicy red pepper sauce.

Tamales from Mama's are not in any way like those you're used to. Dubbed ``black tamales'' ($5.95), they're wrapped in grape leaves. Corn masa underneath the grape leaves surrounds a chile and chicken breast mixture to form a tamale of decidedly different taste and texture.

A list of several interesting seafood tapas items that includes a broiled lobster tail ($21.95) unveils a restaurant rarity these days, frog legs ($7.95).

Here, the chickenlike legs arrive swimming in a garlicky, olive oil and white wine sauce. This is a good time to dip some of the house focaccia bread in the sauce and relish its creamy richness.

Remember, these tapas-style plates are deceiving. Two or three per person may be enough. Yep, before you know it, you're full.

Indeed, there are many choices here, more than 30 in fact. On the seafood page of the menu alone in addition to the frog legs and the spiny lobster tail there are grilled prawns, white anchovies, clams, octopus and escargots.

In addition to a number of chicken breast creations under the ``poultry tapas'' heading, the kitchen offers a roasted quail plate ($7.95).

Other untried tapas plates of note are a quinoa, cucumber and red onion salad ($5.59), a baked vegetable custard (pastel de verduras, $7.95), the traditional Spanish tapas tortilla (potato and onion omelet) dish ($5.95), a croquette of chicken breast and ham ($7.95), chorizo (sausage) and triple milk cheese on focaccia ($7.95) and a ragout of vegetables glazed with sherry ($8.95).

A sweet ending of football-shaped churros with a chocolate dipping sauce ($5.95) may be the best dessert, though there's also a chocolate and espresso-flavored flan ($6.95) available.

On some nights the entertainment at Mama Juana's can be enjoyed for no extra charge. But invariably when there are dancers, singers, big bands and more, there'll be a cover and/or admission fee.

Either way the salsa comes from two directions here, from the kitchen and from the loudspeakers.

Ole!

MAMA JUANA'S

Food: Three stars. Wine: Two and one half stars. Service: Three stars.

Where: 3707 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Studio City.

Hours: Food served from 5 to 11 p.m. nightly.

Recommended items: Spicy black bean soup, New York steak with chimichurri salsa, serrano ham and manchego cheese on country bread, sauteed frog legs, churros with chocolate sauce.

How much: Most tapas items priced from $5.95 to $8.95. Others as low as $4.95 and as high as $21.95. Platter of any four items excepting the lobster, shrimp and prime beef tenderloin is $30. Full bar. All major credit cards.

Wine list: Starting list with representation of Mexican, Chilean, Argentinean, Spanish, Californian and Australian wines, better than expected, priced from $19 per bottle. Wines by the glass from $5.50 to $10.

Reservations:Helpful. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) Above, executive chef Jorge Carmona Neri proffers the Vegetable Pate, left, and Langosta con Salpicon y Aioli at Mama Juana's in Studio City. The Fruta y Crema Inglesa is shown at top.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer