YOU'LL FLIP OVER ADRIAN'S TRATTORIA.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

YOU MIGHT THINK TWICE about arguing over your bill at Adrian's Trattoria in Reseda, simply because Adrian Voulgaris, the co-owner and co-chef with wife Lucia was the national judo champion of Romania in 1969.

Not that there's likely to be a reason for dispute with these two friendly people. It's just handy to know that your local restaurateur happens to be black belt judo expert who continues to practice his art and teaches judo in nearby Van Nuys.

Chef Adrian is evidently just as adept at flipping pizzas as flipping humans.

A veteran of the trattorias in Rome and South Philly, he makes pizzas that he describes as New York-style. His respectable small cheese pizza ($6.60) provides a shareable starter for up to four diners.

His pastas, available as accompaniments with entrees or as main courses ($7.95 to $9.95), come forth cooked to just the right degree of firmness, not too hard, not mushy soft.

If you don't specify a particular noodle, you'll usually get spaghetti, as I did one day with my order of chicken cacciatora ($9.95) - in the style of the hunter - which he does here with boneless chicken breast swimming in a richly flavored tomato sauce boosted with garlic, onion, bell pepper and wine.

Spaghetti is favored even with the Austrian veal schnitzel (lunch $8.25, dinner $11.95), making this dish a true Italian-Austrian hybrid.

Actually, the chicken schnitzel version (lunch $6.25, dinner $8.95) might end up better than the more-expensive veal, which turns up thin, flavorless and generally disappointing.

The same could apply to the veal parmigiana ($12.95) vs. the chicken parmigiana ($9.95), both surprisingly cooked with provolone cheese instead of parmesan.

On a more positive note, Chef Adrian's Greek heritage shows up in a very tasty rendition of a shrimp and pasta dish dubbed ``Grandpa's favorite'' ($15.95), which has the pasta (angel hair or spaghettini are the preferred choices) tossed with feta cheese and fresh tomatoes.

The kitchen's freshly made lasagna (lunch $6.25, dinner $9.95), generously portioned for hungry diners, provides good textures and tastes.

Incidentally, meals here come with a choice of one of two soups or a house salad.

Both soups are extremely likable. The house minestrone, though a trifle beany, possesses a variety of welcome fresh vegetable flavors. And Adrian's fine, old-fashioned chicken soup arrives bolstered with thin noodles.

If you like breaded and deep-fried vegetables and chicken strips, Adrian's plates them as an appetizer dish for two ($7.95) or four ($12.95) with warm tomato or cool ranch-type dipping sauces. Mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini can be found somewhere inside the gold-brownish coverings.

My appetizer preference, though, leans toward roasted peppers and anchovies ($6.95), which actually go quite well with Adrian's crunchy garlic bread (served with most dinners).

But it's wise to save some room for co-chef Lucia's baked goodies, particularly her delicious upside-down apple cake or thin, moist apple tart ($3 each).

Adrian's, firmly established in the onetime Arturo's Pizza building, is a comfy little place with an open kitchen, counter, two large wine cabinets and dining room walls that sport artist Rafuse's framed, whimsical restaurant personnel depictions.

It's a heartwarming touch of Europe in Reseda.

And remember, be nice to owner-chef Adrian.

ADRIAN'S TRATTORIA

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

Where: 17709 Vanowen St., Reseda.

Hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily except Sunday, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Recommended items: Chicken noodle soup, chicken cacciatora, Greek-style shrimp and pasta with feta cheese and tomato, meat lasagna, apple upside-down cake, apple tart.

How much: Starters from $3 to $9, pizzas and large salads from $5.75 to $16.70, pastas and entrees from $8 to $17, desserts $3 and $3.50. Beer and wine. AE, MC, V, Discover.

Wine list: Small list (16) of generally low-priced wines priced from $11 to $24. All offered by the glass from $3 to $6.25. Corkage: $3.

Reservations: Not taken. Policy is first come, first served.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) Chicken Cacciatora, left, is one of the recommended dishes at Adrian's Trattoria, where Adrian and Lucia Voulgaris bring a number of European influences to a primarily Italian menu.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer