RESTAURANTS : Mexican Coast Hits Westlake Village : Fast-food outlet specializes in ‘fresh and healthy.’ Tasty offerings like San Felipe-style fish tacos support the claim.

Seven months ago, like cool breeze on a hot afternoon, the Sea Casa insinuated itself between a Vons and a Longs in a Westlake Village shopping center. A taqueria-style fast-food outlet, it draws its inspiration from the little stands specializing in fresh fish tacos found on Mexican beaches up and down the coast from Cabo to Cancun.

Rather than palm fronds and gritty sand, here it’s all green and white tables and tile, as refreshing as cucumber and lime. Like a mantra, the phrase “fresh and healthy” runs around the room on wallpaper. One can’t help wondering: Are you what you eat? Or are you what you believe you are eating? In any event, both come together here in deliciously fresh renditions of wonderful Mexican favorites.

Newly fished halibut that probably came right from the Ventura Harbor was the fish of the day on all our visits. We couldn’t complain. We tried it, seared on the grill, in a small, delicious San Felipe-style fish taco ($1.85) with cabbage and tomatoes and a light tasty sour cream sauce. We also had it in a big burrito, full of dark beans, guacamole, cabbage and pico de gallo--a tasty mixture of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

A tostada with grilled fish ($5.45), fashioned from a big tortilla, fried in a big bowl shape, was filled with romaine lettuce, guacamole, black beans, sour cream and fresh tomato salsa. Not lost within, the fish sat proudly on top of it all.

Char-grilled chicken or steak were both options instead of fish. The steak version of the torta, or Mexican sandwich ($3.95), came with grated cheeses and lettuce on an outstanding roll, thin and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

For the big appetite, Sea Casa platters ($6.95) came with a choice of grilled steak, chicken or fish, or a pair of enchiladas made with blue (or white) corn tortillas. These platters were as colorful as Mexican pottery, with an artful medley of almost purple black beans, crumbled white Mexican cheese, bright pink marinated onions, pale orange rice and soft green guacamole. The sauce for the enchiladas was a deep burnt umber, more taste than sauce. Its dusky subtleties went better with the cheese than the chicken.

Two other notably tasty offerings proved the claim of fresh and healthy. A vegetarian taco came with grilled zucchini, green peppers, mushrooms, beans, cheese and Yucatan marinated onions. It was as pleasing as sunshine. Ceviche served in a tiny tostada cup consisted of white fish and sliced curly shrimp with the texture of lobster, cooked in lime juice and spiked with cilantro.

An added attraction here is a generous salsa bar, with a half a dozen salsas and a few marinated vegetables like onions, carrots and chilies. Clearly rated for their heat, the salsas included on the mild end delicious fresh tomato and piquant tomatillo salsas, while a dark pasilla chipolte salsa burnt the palate. Tortilla chips were hard and quite crunchy but not at all greasy. They make a point of using canola oil instead of the more traditional lard.

Placing an order at the counter, you can’t help pick up on a cheerful optimism, a sense of people having fun in business. In fact, what we have here is the follow-your-dream school of good food.

Cheryl Lopez, who started the Sea Casa with her husband, Jose, had been experiencing heavy burnout as a businesswoman in insurance sales when she read a book called “Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow.” What she loved, she claimed, was cooking; but part of her insisted it was a fool’s dream to open a business in a recession. However, the dream persisted. They finally took the book’s advice and haven’t been sorry since. Nor have their customers.

Details

* WHAT: The Sea Casa.

* WHERE: 1014-4 Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village, 374-1921.

* ETC: Lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wine and beer license pending. Cash or personal check. Lunch or dinner for two, food only, $4 to $20.