A ‘Spark’ of Italian inspiration

Doug Tabbert

Spark is an Italian-American Bistro that serves a wide array of

upscale cuisine. It’s on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Main

Street, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The heated patio, with an open

fire pit, offers an intimate setting over which to enjoy tantalizing

appetizers and wood-fired entrees, as well as one of the many bottles

of California and Italian wines available. A glass wall, which

partitions the patio, enables diners to gaze on the western sky from

the indoor dining room.

My dining partner started with the baby field greens and Sonoma

goat cheese salad (small $6.95, large $9.95). This was an eminently

edible starter with homemade oven-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts

and dressed with sherry wine vinaigrette. I went with the seared Ahi

tuna appetizer special ($10.95). The peppery-spiced crust and a sweet

teriyaki dipping sauce were a perfect match with the natural flavor

of the fish.

The partially exposed kitchen reveals a staff dressed in neat

black and white striped caps against a stone slab wall. This Italian

restaurant, which does get a little raucous toward the weekend, has a

subtle, but unmistakable aura of Main Street.

I tried the arugula, shaved Pecorino Romano and prosciutto pizza

($11.95) for an entree. “Imagine a delicious Arugula salad on a

pizza,” quotes the online menu. Frankly, this was not the choice for

me, nor would I imagine anyone else. Perhaps the ensuing experience

was just desserts for an incessant bargain hunter, but anyway you

slice it, this was (add heavy Italian accent) “not a pizza.”

The thin or Roman-style crust was terrific on the Chicken Alla

Romana (10.95), which was enjoyed with my dining partner and topped

with roasted chicken, mozzarella cheese, sweet peppers and tomato

sauce.

My pizza crust was more akin to a giant olive oil doused pita

bread chip, from which patrons apparently are intended to rip bland

pieces. What’s more is that as a salad, this was a poor example, it

would have been improved with any remotely flavorful dressing. The

prosciutto was much too thick and lacked the tasty, salty gumminess

of that found in delicatessens and upscale restaurants. Eventually, I

found I was burning more calories masticating this banal specialty

without a spark, and I gave up thoroughly disenchanted.

The good news is that the fresh fish, ribs, beef, lamb chops, pork

and chicken have been highly acclaimed and are on the menu for those

more discriminating than myself. These are served in variety of ways,

with delicious sides like creamed spinach and scalloped potatoes au

gratin. For example, the smoked pork “Porterhouse” chop ($16.95) is a

center-cut chop with red wine honey sauce and poached pear that is

served with sauteed spinach and chive mashed potatoes.

If you are craving something sweet, there is the triple chocolate

cake, ($5.95). The menu describes a slice as a “triple dose of

sinfully rich chocolate; chocolate cake, chocolate butter cream and

chocolate ganache.” There is also tiramisu, cheesecake, bread pudding

and gelato.

* DOUG TABBERT is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail hbindy@latimes.com