It’s Mediterranean food and more at TLV Tapas Bar in Tarzana

Not to go too far over the top here, but there’s nothing in the San Fernando Valley like TLV Tapas Bar. There may be nothing like it in Southern California. It’s so totally unique, so one of a kind, so sui generis that, yes, I’ve got to resort to Latin to describe it.

It’s also largely misnamed, for many (most?) of the dishes served here aren’t tapas.

And indeed, if you want to stick to the notion that Tapas refers to Spanish small dishes, this isn’t a tapas bar at all. It’s a restaurant with a multitude of tables that cater to large groups, and lots of celebrations. It’s noisy, lively, madcap – and very tasty. Call it a tapas bar if you want. Just give me more of that tasty chopped liver and hummus.

I guess, broadly speaking, TLV can be described as an Israeli restaurant; after all, it’s closed on Fridays, and opens only once the sun has set on Saturdays. The first section of the menu is referred to as “Ktanot,” which is Hebrew for “small.” The section with lamb chops and skewers is “Al Ha’Esh” – “On the fire.” Desserts are “Metukim” – “Sweet.” But then, “Charcoal Roasted Vegetables” are presented in English. And there’s another section headed “Salads ’n Things,” which is where the menu goes wildly multinational.

Those “Things” range from very Japanese toro and yellowtail sashimi, to deeply French frisée salad. The sorbet with meringue and blueberry coulis is French as well. Börek pastry is from the Balkans.

Further down the menu, there’s a dessert called “Night in Beirut” – which is, of course, in Lebanon. The kohlrabi with cashew butter sounds like something you’d find in our new wave of upscale vegan eateries. Ditto the okra, which is flavored with Japanese soy sauce, and Turkish urfa peppers.

But have no doubt that the Jerusalem bagel found among the starters is indeed from Israel. It is not, however, a bagel like the bagels we eat here in the Valley, nor like the ones I grew up with in the Bronx. Those bagels were boiled. These bagels share a similar ring shape. But otherwise, they have their roots not in Eastern Europe, but in the Middle East, where a ring-shaped bread called ka’ak is a standard – a yeasty, crusty bread, covered with sesame seeds, formed into more of an oblong than a ring, with a notably lighter texture.

I guess it could be served with lox and cream cheese. But, mostly, it isn’t.

Instead, it goes very well with hummus msabbaha – a creamier version of hummus than the one were used to hereabouts, though made with the same mix of garbanzo beans, lemon, garlic and tahini; the difference isn’t so much a matter of taste as of texture. I’m happy with either.

Consider, as well, the chopped liver, made with the traditional style, with grilled onions and chopped eggs – and a likely dousing of schmaltz as well. This is a dish with roots in Eastern Europe, and in the delis of New York. It isn’t Israeli, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean. But hey, what the heck – it tastes good.

That’s especially true with the very Mediterranean marinated olives, and the very Greek skordalia – a garlic purée/dip made, in this case, with chopped almonds.

And, not to give it short shrift, the zaalouk is a fine creation – fire-roasted eggplant, spicy shushka peppers, tomatoes and garlic confit. Garlic, always garlic … TLV exudes the stuff!

Though not in the two sashimis, which are right off the menus of our best sashimi bars – the toro, flavored with fennel, dill, ponzu, sesame oil and Thai chiles; the yellowtail is ponzu flavored with cherry and a watercress salad on the side.

There’s charred bok choy with the Chilean sea bass entrée. There’s Italian gremolata green sauce with the ribeye skewers. There’s a yellowtail tartar as well – it’s flavored with watermelon. And if the Jerusalem bagels aren’t enough, there are Moroccan doughnuts for dessert.

At the top of the bar menu is the iconic Middle Eastern anise liqueur called arak. It comes in three flavors – guava, vanilla fig and … uh … “bazooka.” As in bubble gum? Whatever.

I sat at the bar, watching the cooks and the bartenders and the parties at large tables. When cakes emerged for birthdays, there were sparklers that lit up the room. And much music.

As a special treat, across the street is the Israeli ice cream shop called Anita, which offers some of the most intense flavors imaginable.

The intersection of Yolanda and Ventura in Tarzana is a place to go when the world seems too much to handle. One bazooka-flavored arak, and your troubles will melt away!

Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email [email protected].

TLV Tapas Bar

• Rating: 3 stars
• Address: 5442 Yolanda Ave., Tarzana
• Information: 818-201-6171, www.tlv-tapas.com
• Cuisine: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Small Dish and Party Destination
• When: Dinner, Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
• Details: Full bar; reservations essential
• Atmosphere: This is a destination like nowhere else in town – with parties pretty much everywhere, small plates unlike any you’ve ever seen, and a bar of drinks that stagger the imagination (and your sobriety).
• Prices: About $50 per person
• On the menu: 6 Small Plates ($11-$20), 4 Roast Vegetables ($11-$19), 6 Salads ’n Things ($17-$31), 5 Grilled Dishes ($23-$92), 4 Desserts ($19)
• Credit cards: MC, V
• What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)