Bella Pita in Westwood, where panini meets pita meets burrito

Plenty of L.A. cafe owners have realized that ethnic food can have enhanced crossover appeal if healthful characteristics of the cuisine are emphasized. Lately, even fast-food places are oriented toward fresh and good-for-you offerings, often because that's the way proprietors like to eat.

So the tiny, four-stool falafel counter Bella Pita is just one of several Westwood spots courting the student crowd by noting its use of canola and olive oils only and house-made dressings. But it amusingly pushes the competition to another level by baking its pita on premises (who can resist the aroma of baking bread?) and by having created a funny and delicious fusion food it calls the "wowshi." This is a panini meets pita sandwich meets burrito item made by filling a pita with beef and cheese, beans and cheese or a three-cheese combination; embellishing the filling with chopped parsley, olives, onions and spices; and baking the concoction. The result is a crisp, better-than-flatbread exterior with a hot, melty interior loaded with, for example, the salty flavors of feta and olives. You want one?