@TO-Cal Stand Out hed:Bistro Ella 1714 Newbury Road, Space E, Newbury Park. 498-2500. The cozy, elegant bistro is the creation of restaurateur Peyman Afshar, who also owns Leila's in Oak Park. Chef Richard DeMane oversees the food at both spots, explaining the bistro's similar focus on the fresh and the fanciful as it leans toward Eastern Mediterranean touches. The bistro demonstrates a distinctive character, from the simple but very tasty lavash crackers that are brought to the table in a glass globe at the start of the meal to the last bite of lemon crème brûlée. Ahi tuna carpaccio and artichoke soup decorated with swirls of red pepper coulis are beautiful to look at and appealing in taste. Unusual takes on familiar dishes include Ella's "Waldorf" salad, pictured, with strips of celeriac taking the place of traditional celery. Karen Quincy Loberg / Star staff

Here's a look at recent Rita Moran restaurant reviews, in chronological order. Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her meals.

Vietnam Noodle Cafe, 476 W. Los Angeles Ave., Suite B-10, Moorpark. 523-3145. The tiny but tidy spot offers freshly prepared Vietnamese food with gracious service. The array of ethnic specialties includes a particularly good peanut-hoisin sauce with the shrimp and pork spring rolls and the Chinese sausage fresh rolls, both unfried items wrapped in edible rice paper. Some items are blended into the cafe's noodle and/or rice soups, including chicken curry rice vermicelli soup and lemongrass beef stew rice noodle soup. The tasty results are modestly priced.

Experi-mental Cafe, Fourth and A streets, Oxnard. 385-3605. Woolworth building owner David Feigin has converted the site's corner space into an eccentric cafe, featuring food choices that meander from egg cream to chicken shwarma wraps, with terrific pastrami-wrapped hot dogs and an amazing Twinkie-based dessert. There's a lunch counter and booths on the food-serving side, and a collection of mid-20th-century curios on the Woolworth "museum" side, where live music prevails Tuesday through Saturday nights.

Farm-dinner series at The SideCar Restaurant, 3029 E. Main St., Ventura. 653-7433. Chef and co-owner Tim Kilcoyne shines the spotlight on local, seasonal produce at once-a-month dinners devoted to a specific grower in the Ventura County area. Coming up: fruits and vegetables from Underwood Family Farms (April 16), and produce from Tomai Farms (May 21). Reservations are $55 per person; $75 with wine paired to each of the four courses.

Mandarin Express. 5015 Kanan Road, Agoura Hills. 818-991-9831. The Asian-fusion cuisine at this hidden gem is amazing in its scope. With chef Dan Chang in the kitchen and the exuberant Kim Truong out front, the restaurant dishes up countless variations on traditional themes using ingredients and styles from many lands. But more adventurous diners should give these a try: crispy shrimp roll with peanut sauce, wor wonton soup with shallots, Turmeric Lemon Grass Beef, Pecan Shrimp, Calamari with Korean Pear Puree, and Raspberry Captain Morgan Rum Chicken. Also available are dozens of tofu and "mock" chicken, beef, pork and duck dishes.

Vesta Home and Hearth, 242 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai. 646-2339. The new shop and restaurant replaces Tottenham Court in the historic Ojai Arcade, retaining the formal teas but bringing a distinct California focus to the menu and international approach to the household goods. Food is available from around 9 a.m., when several basic breakfast items appear. Later, there are sandwiches, salads, paninis, and some shareable "small bites" like baked brie with honey and brown sugar and a seven-layer Mediterranean dip. A small but interesting wine list also is available.

Cafe Firenze, 563 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark. 532-0048. An exceptional Italian restaurant is co-owned by chef Fabio Viviani and Jacopo Falleni, both from Italy, and Viviani's father-in-law, Mike Takeda of Ventura. Viviani dishes up authentic Italian recipes, some from Florence, where he and Falleni both had restaurant experience. Portions are generous and sauces are rich. Among recommended dishes are the prosciutto and melon appetizer; a seared sugar shrimp, roasted asparagus and sun-dried and cherry tomato salad; spinach and ricotta dumplings "malfatti" with roasted wild porcini mushroom sauce; lamb shank in an Italian red wine and vegetable demi-glace; and spirals of Italian sausage.