DINING OUT -- MARY FURR

Be prepared for something different when you enter Taste of Napa,

which opened about two months ago on Pacific Coast Highway and 19th

St./Admiralty Drive in Sunset Beach.

Manager and Executive Chef Damon Cruz is a throwback to the genial

host of yesteryear -- a Falstaffian figure that complements the casual

ambience of the place. In this long, low ceiling room, you’ll find a

small gourmet deli, a retail wine store, a wine-tasting bar with a half

dozen of stools, several red-clothed dining tables and a four-seat cyber

bar with DSL Internet access to check your e-mail or the latest stock

trades. Who could ask for more?

A healthy lunch can be a chopped salad ($9.95), which Cruz adopted

from his mentor, Antonio Friscia of San Francisco’s El Fornio. It is

served in a flat bowl with radicchio, frise, watercress and Belgian

endive in a balsamic vinaigrette with egg plant and crunchy candied

walnuts. The variety of color, texture and shape make this the ultimate

salad -- one easily shared on request.

Sandwiches, served with pasta salad, on the best crusty baguettes from

Babette’s in Long Beach, are as generous as the salads. Hot pastrami

($5.95) is lightly spread with Dijon mustard with lots of thinly sliced

meat and caramelized onions. A mild tangy taste from the Danish havarti

cheese melted over the meat adds just the right flavor.

The warm turkey provolone ($5.95) is also served on a crusty roll,

plenty of turkey tucked inside with melted cheese, tomato and lettuce. It

comes with the rotelli pasta salad, avoiding the usual humdrum spread

with a nippy dressing.

For pizza we chose Myles Maximus quattro ($7.95), a fancy name for a

four-cheese pie that has a chewy rolled edge and thin crust covered with

tomato sauce and topped with provolone, havarti, mozzarella and Parmesan

cheeses bubbling on top. One pizza cuts into four generous slices, fine

for two.

Taste of Napa stocks more than 2,000 premium wines from the light

fruity ones that go well with sandwiches and salads to robust with pasta

and pizza.

Desserts are limited. There’s a smooth cappuccino mousse cake ($2.75)

that answers a chocoholic’s dream with a deep dark chocolate cookie

crust, a silky medium chocolate mousse filling topped with a mild

chocolate whipped cream icing. Cappuccino crunch gelato ($2.75) has a

dense texture with bits of candied brittle -- rich and smooth.

Every other month, Taste of Napa has a winemaker event featuring a

different winery. The wine lists changes monthly, said Cruz, giving

patrons a chance to taste various wines.

Taste of Napa is like a glimpse of the future -- keeping up with

business and e-mail while indulging in the increasingly popular hobby of

wine-tasting.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions for her, call (562) 493-5062.

TASTE OF NAPA

* WHERE: 16635 Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Beach

* HOURS: 3 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Friday, noon to midnight

Saturday, and noon to midnight Sunday. Closed Monday.

* PHONE: (562) 592-0900; fax (562) 592-0916