@TO-Cal Stand Out hed:Matteo's Trattoria 795 Camarillo Springs Road, Suite A, Camarillo. 484-9674. Under new ownership since last year, the restaurant has a French-Italian bent with a hint of the Brazilian. Open for dinner Thursdays through Saturdays, and lunch on weekdays, it maintains a menu that touches many culinary bases, including typical American fare. The pleasant dining room and enclosed patio offer views toward the hills lining the Conejo Grade. Service is amiable and prompt. At dinnertime, check out the weekly specials for interesting and creative dishes such as white salmon stuffed with spinach and mushrooms. Joseph A. Garcia / Star staff Linguini Del Mar is one of the dishes available at Matteo's Trattoria, now owned by the brother-and-sister duo of Eduardo and Elizabeth Lebeis.

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

Matteo's Trattoria, 795 Camarillo Springs Road, Suite A, Camarillo. 484-9674. Under new ownership since last year, the restaurant has a French-Italian bent with a hint of the Brazilian. Open for dinner Thursdays through Saturdays, and lunch on weekdays, it maintains a menu that touches many culinary bases, including typical American fare. The pleasant dining room and enclosed patio offer views toward the hills lining the Conejo Grade. Service is amiable and prompt. At dinnertime, check out the weekly specials for interesting and creative dishes such as white salmon stuffed with spinach and mushrooms.

Oh! Sushi, 2121 N. Rose Ave., Suite 400, Oxnard, near Wal-Mart. 988-0808. A bright and lively sushi spot in an Oxnard shopping center, Oh! Sushi offers Japanese specialties to suit almost any taste, from noodles and teriyaki to plenty of sushi and sashimi (all of the basics, plus 35 specialty rolls). Appetizers include a very good pokky tuna plate. Combos range from basic rice bowls to substantial dinners.

Seagrass restaurant, 30 E. Ortega St., Santa Barbara. 963-1012. Seagrass specializes in fresh local seafood from the Santa Barbara Fish Market, plus fish and shellfish from sustainable fisheries, and produce from the farmers market. A sister restaurant to bouchon in Santa Barbara, it has the same proprietor, Mitchell Sjerven, and chef, Josh Brown. The decor, in the space that was formerly Sage & Onion, radiates sea atmosphere. Scallops are offered as an appetizer or entree, each with its own unusual preparation. Other highlights of the menu, which changes seasonally, are citrus-glazed ahi tuna and Meyer lemon curd tart.

Harvard Cafe, 650 W. Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula. 921-0400. The modest cafe has a menu that covers breakfast, lunch and dinner at reasonable prices. It also offers the occasional surprise among its daily specials and regular menu (the latter includes the Black and Blue Quesadilla featuring sauteed mushrooms, red onions, grilled chicken strips, bell peppers and a sprinkling of blue cheese). Fans applaud the soups; the cream of broccoli is a winner. Service is prompt and helpful, and the atmosphere is basic but welcoming.

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, with strips of celeriac taking the place of traditional celery.