@TO-Cal Stand Out hed:Lucerne Restaurant 868 Arneill Road, Camarillo. 383-5777. Located in a strip mall, the new and undeniably elegant Italian restaurant serves a wide and well-cooked range of dishes. Pastas are light and tender, and sauces are prepared with a fine sense of balance. Service is amiable and efficient. Available at lunch or dinner are gnocchi Loren, ravioli matriciana and, on the day we visited, a cannelloni stuffed with ground chicken and served with mushrooms and a light, slightly creamy marinara sauce. Desserts are delicate and delicious. Karen Quincy Loberg / Star staff Camarillo's new Lucerne Restaurant serves a Napa cabbage salad that includes shrimp, provolone cheese, tomatoes and sesame dressing.

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

Pacific Fresh Seafood Grill in the Vons center, 2060 E. Avenida de Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks. 493-0104. The family-founded (and family-friendly) restaurant lures diners with Greek specialties, grilled seafood and other familiar dishes. The Athenian shrimp appetizer has a terrific sauce, and the tarama salad (a smooth paste made with fish roe) is delicious with pita bread (order enough and it could serve as a first course). Grilled lamb shoulder chops are oozing with flavor, and the homemade baklava is chock-full of walnuts and honey, seasoned with aromatic spices. Prices are reasonable.

El Rey Cantina, 294 E. Main St., Ventura. 653-1111. Channeling a stylish mix that is part Elvis Presley, part Tijuana, El Rey Cantina serves a range of hip cocktails along with a short menu of Mexican specialties, most of them spicy enough to make you reach for another beverage. The cantina makes its own tortillas, which among other things are used to wrap El Rey's seared ahi burrito and Trio of Enchiladas, served with red, white and green sauces. A real surprise is the fine quality of El Rey's hamburgesa, a delicious patty with a hint of jalapeño and cumin that is accompanied by a generous serving of fries.

Ironhorse Restaurant and Lounge, Glen Tavern Inn, 134 N. Mill St., Santa Paula. 933-3534. The new restaurant in the landmark inn is owned by Santa Paulan Yolie Cerda and features a menu by chef Walter Cozean. Some effective use is made of local citrus, and the menu covers a range of tastes and styles. An avocado roll appetizer is tasty, spicy and deep-fried; cream of broccoli soup is full of flavor; and strawberry shortcake, with no fresh strawberries, is more like a big, sweet, strawberry-flavored sundae. There is probably something on the menu to tempt every palate, much at modest prices.

Vivoli Cafe and Trattoria, 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. 373-6060. New to the North Ranch Mall space that used to be Louise's Trattoria, Vivoli features Italian cuisine brought to the table by young Italian servers, who add zest and charm to the proceedings in addition to knowing their stuff. The menu includes familiar favorites (cioppino, risotto, panini, pizzas, branzino) and specials. The extensive wine list features vintages from — where else? — Italy.