RESTAURANT REVIEW : Familia Melgoza Has That Saucy Touch : Mysterious Mexican spices flavor the elaborate dishes that make this kin-filled place worth a visit.

The Melgoza family wasn’t kidding when it got together and named the family’s downtown Oxnard restaurant.

About seven years ago, when the doors opened, they figured they’d be right up front, so they just called the place Familia Melgoza--which is no exaggeration. Jose Luis and Ana Melgoza own the place, and the last time I was there our waiter was a Melgoza nephew, Ana was behind the stove back in the kitchen, Jose Luis was carrying hot platters into the dining room, and the recipes were from Ana’s mother.

On Sundays, the tasty tortillas, which soak up the traditional Sunday menudo (stewed tripe) and the birria (stew of young goat meat), are even made on the premises. But it is a shame, the Critical Companion and I agree, that the tortillas aren’t homemade all the time, because then the antojito s--things like chiles rellenos, tacos, enchiladas, tamales and sopes --might be better than they are.

As it is, it’s the more elaborate dishes that mark Familia Melgoza as worth a visit.

The birria de chivo ($6.45, large order), a house specialty, is made with a recipe brought up from Ocotlan in Jalisco, Mexico, and it’s a luscious dish. The young chivo (goat meat) is seasoned, roasted and simmered in a “special” sauce (about which Ana is somewhat secretive), then cooked in a slightly spicy broth and laced with lots of crisp raw onion and fresh cilantro, and maybe some lime.

The Critical Companion argues, and nearly convinces me, that it’s the caldo de camaron y pescado ($7.95) that should get the most compliments. A Mexican caldo typically is a large bowl of soup with substantial pieces of chicken or beef or fish or whatever. This one is loaded with fish and octopus and vegetables. The vegetables, seasonings and seafood merge to put out a rich, savory broth.

But the kitchen seems to have its most effective touch when it comes to the red sauces that make up the character of most of the seafood and meat dishes.

The carne adobada ($7.45) is just a bit different than any adobada I’ve tried. The marinade, with a certain seasoning that I cannot quite identify, flavors the tender pork, leaving it still moist inside, with a light topping of red sauce crisping on the meat and sending out a tantalizing aroma. Naturally, Ana is no help in explaining the flavor mystery.

On the other hand, the constillas en salsa ($5.95), pork ribs in a red sauce, boasts a certain sweetness that can be traced to tomatillos . The ribs are a little fat, which I like in a dish of this sort, although the CC disagrees vehemently.

It is the thick red sauce on two dishes that lures me back. One dish is the camaron a la diabla ($7.95) These shrimp come sizzling in the sauce, firm but not overcooked. They’re simmered in red chilies and spices (which you can order either mild or hot--I choose hot, which nevertheless is not too hot) and come with chunks of vegetables. The combination of the richness of the red chili sauce and the firm, tender shrimp slides over the palate deliciously.

The other dish is from the breakfast side of the menu. It’s called torta de huevo en chile ($4.45), which in this case is part omelet, part scrambled eggs mixed with lots of onions and--most important--fresh cilantro, together with some more of that thick red chili sauce.

A couple of other items are worth mentioning. The coctel de camaron ($6.95), boasting the same firm shrimp as the camaron a la diabla , is mixed with spicy tapatio sauce and water in which the shrimp were boiled. For me, this produces a nice flavor but a watery texture.

The chile verde con carne ($6.45) could best be called a pleasant dish. The pieces of diced pork in green chili sauce are tender and moist and nicely spiced, but they seem to lack the oomph of character I look for in this dish.

To wash any of this down, Familia Melgoza serves an excellent Mexican chocolate ($1.05), rich and cinnamony, and refreshing pitchers of Sangria ($4.25), the classic Spanish drink of wine flavored with fruits.

Details

* WHAT: Familia Melgoza Mexican Restaurant.

* WHERE: 155 E. 7th St., Oxnard.

* WHEN: Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner: Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* HOW MUCH: Meal for two, food only, $11 to $28.

* FYI: Reservations accepted, major credit cards accepted; beer and wine.

* CALL: 483-1411.