BY ERIC NOLAND >STAFF WRITER

Charcuterie is all the rage on small-plates menus these days, and for many restaurants, serving an array of artisanal cured meats is simply a matter of hooking up with an accomplished supplier.

In North Hollywood, however, Ca' Del Sole raises the concept to a different level: Executive chef Soerke Peters cures and cooks all of his salamis and prosciuttos on the premises, which applies an impressive personal touch.

The salumeria platter on the antipasti menu ($9.75) provides a tasty tour of meats that are notably lean. The salami packs a peppery punch - it's liberally studded with cross sections of the peppercorns. The prosciutto cotto (or cooked ham) is much lighter and not as salty as the dry-cured prosciutto di parma you might be accustomed to. Also on the plate is a square of rich duck liver pate, slivers of dark bresaola, head cheese, olives and a little crock of grain mustard. All of this goes well with crusty hunks of country bread in a basket. It's ideal for sharing.

Ditto the burrata ($9.75) - in fact, it's difficult to imagine one person consuming this much cheese. Just to give it a little flavor boost, the creamy mozzarella is drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with capers before it is cross-hatched with strips of roasted red bell pepper.

Among the main courses, the coniglio ($19.95) presents a juicy rabbit leg that has been wrapped in house-cured pancetta and slowly braised in wine among golden raisins. It's a flavorful, savory dish, and here's an Italian establishment confident enough to serve it not with pasta but with mashed potatoes. The accompanying green beans with chips of slivered, browned garlic were terrific.

Pasta lovers will not be neglected here. The carbonara ($13.50) brings together crispy pancetta, egg yolk and Parmesan cheese in perfect balance, tossed with spaghetti, parsley and black pepper.

If only the dining room could keep pace with the obviously competent kitchen.

A runner arrived with a main course in each hand, but before the dishes had been cleared from the starters. The waiter, who was tardy with our wine order despite an express request to bring it before the first course arrived, didn't return to inquire about our entrees until we had about two bites left.

Ca' Del Sole, a Valley institution for going on 15 years, enjoys a strategic location - on Cahuenga Boulevard, in the shadow of Mount Universal with its studio theme park, CityWalk and amphitheater. If you've spent the day there, or are headed up for an evening event, you'll dine better here and at much better value than within that complex. Also, if you're bound over the hill, you'll pay twice as much in West Hollywood for commensurate quality.

At its best: Deft touch in the kitchen at this comfy neighborhood restaurant. Fabulous patio.

Could be better: Service is unsatisfying on many levels.

Eric Noland, (818) 713-3681

eric.noland@dailynews.com

review

CA' DEL SOLE

>Details: 4100 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. Open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday (Sunday brunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). (818) 985-4669, www.cadelsole.com.

>Cost: Antipasti $8.75 to $10.95, soup and salads $6.25 to $14.75, main courses $12.95 to $23.50, desserts $6.95.

>Noteworthy: Two-sided fireplace is a nice feature in the dining area, but this is not a particularly elegant setting because of the lack of a discernible dress code (male diners in T-shirts and flip-flops) and the use of bright spotlights overhead. Wine list offers an intriguing blend of Old World and New, so it's refreshing to find a reasonably priced Italian red (Dolcetto d'Alba, $34, for example) to pair with this food.