Westlake Village 05/21/08: Juan Carlo / Star staff: Phyllis Kahn, left, brought her grandson Daniel Kahn along with her friend Bobbi Crafton of Simi Valley as they get waited by Antonio Sanchez at Vivoli Cafe and Trattoria in Westlake Village.The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Juan Carlo / Star staff Pollo al Marsala is a favorite dish at the new Vivoli Cafe and Trattoria in Thousand Oaks.

When I mentioned to our server at Vivoli Cafe and Trattoria in Thousand Oaks that the new enterprise was the third Italian restaurant I'd visited at that address, he quickly replied, "And I hope there won't be a fourth!"

Actually, he represented one of Vivoli's key assets: a crew of young Italian servers who are upbeat, quick-witted and conversant in their cuisine.

We had no major complaints with the fare at Cafe Sienna or Louise's Trattoria, the site's previous tenants. Louise's actually livened up the decor of its predecessor with lots of warm woods and dramatic lighting fixtures.

But the look and feel of Vivoli is definitely accentuated by the staff, headed by co-owner Nunzio Donato Ciaraulo, a native of Potenza, Italy, and the food, which covers a wide range of culinary options.

By arriving around 5:45 on a Friday night, we were taking our chances on getting seated in time to move along to the evening's other activities. Luckily, there were several booths available and we were promptly seated. (A mere 20 minutes later, the main dining room had filled up, and the row of tables in the hallway off the small bar in the back also had been claimed.)

Service was prompt and personable, though by the time we left, things had gotten harried enough that we had to request our bill several times — and eventually ended up with it being processed twice, a duplication we were assured would be rectified.

It took a while to make our way through the extensive menu, and to peruse the equally extensive wine list, fortified with many Italian wines. We decided on an appetizer of carpaccio di tonno picantino (ahi tuna carpaccio, $9.95) and began munching on Italian flatbread dipped in tapenade.

The large tuna plate arrived quickly, with its paper-thin ahi slices forming the base, topped by a salad of arugula, red onions and grilled red pepper strips, dressed with a lemon balsamic dressing. It was quite a spicy combo, with the greenery countering the gentle ahi flavor and driving the taste experience. The only flaw was that a few pieces of the arugula had passed from the fresh green stage to yellow, which was not an attractive condition.

Our shared pasta dish, readily divided in the kitchen, was a delicious penne alla vodka ($12.95), with a mild but distinctive sauce of tomatoes, prosciutto, onions and "a touch of cream and a splash of vodka." It was just the right proportion for two who were going on to another course, but could easily have made an entree for one.

We proceeded to cioppino ($23.95) and costolette d'agnello (grilled rack of lamb, $22.95). The cioppino was served on a large oval rimmed plate, the better to show off its bounty of shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, scallops and white fish. The sauce was not spicy, but had a fine, mellow flavor.

The rack of lamb — thin, grilled rib chops marinaded in olive oil, rosemary and garlic — was exceptionally tasty. Complementing the dainty chops on the plate was a combination of sauteed vegetables.

That was just right as an accompaniment, though the menu notes that meat dishes, and most fish dishes, come with either the vegetables "of the day" (ours were carrots, zucchini and red peppers) or mashed potatoes or penne marinara. I like the idea of not overloading the main dish, but those who prefer potatoes or who haven't eaten a separate pasta course might go for the penne option.

We finished with a dessert of crostata de mirtilli con gelato (homemade blueberry tart with vanilla gelato, $7.95), selected from an array of options that included Italian chocolate ice cream (semifreddo) with hazelnut; a homemade baked Grandma Tart with a thin crust, cream, chocolate chips and almonds; cannoli, tiramisu, gelatos and sorbettos. The blueberry tart was a basic pastry with a layer of soft cream and a topping of berries. The flavors were pleasant, but the crust was a tad soggy.

Around us while we dined were patrons who seemed to be enjoying many different approaches to dinner, including 12-inch thin-crusted pizzas, risottos and some of the pasta options. It's possible to drop in for just pasta or pizza or any of the other substantial and moderately priced dishes on the menu.

We heard a server describing the evening's specials at another table and learned that there had been a lobster option that night, which we might have considered had we heard about it earlier. Still, we were generally quite pleased with our choices, and delighted with the service.

— Rita Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her meals. If you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, please contact her at ritamoran@earthlink.net.