Upper Crust

Combine California-style cuisine and the concept of a postmodern trattoria and you have a pretty good picture of the new Bellagio Cafe in Thousand Oaks.

Alex Momen opened the eatery about three months ago in the space formerly home to Geppetto’s on East Thousand Oaks Boulevard near California 23.

The setting is strictly casual. An open view of the kitchen lends to the airy feel of a two-level room separated by a pair of large arches.

There is no confusion: pizzas of the fashionable, gourmet kind are the calling card. Momen has brought to the Conejo Valley his 12 years of experience of wood-fired oven pizza from Avanti Cafe in Pasadena, of which he is a partner.

The winning pizza formula at Bellagio Cafe is simple enough and breaks down to include a tasty dough recipe, quality cheeses, fresh ingredients and that imported oak wood-fired oven.

The “California-ized” pizza versions include barbecue chicken with fresh cilantro and Bermuda onions; chicken and duck sausage; glazed apple; and seafood (with shrimp, scallops, yellow peppers, leeks and tomatoes).

There are several pizzas on the menu that rely chiefly on cheese, like the four-cheese mix with Gorgonzola, provolone, Parmesan and mozzarella, plus a choice of black olives or tomatoes. The five-cheese mix includes asiago.

For the traditionalist there are pizzas with tomato-based sauces and standard toppings like pepperoni, Canadian bacon and sausage.

Complementing the menu are about a dozen pasta dishes, calzones, a soup of the day, various salads and daily specials. And anchoring one end of the kitchen is a large, wood-fired rotisserie where marinated chickens churn and are prepared for the whole or half order.

DETAILS

Bellagio Cafe is at 868 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Hours: Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Call 370-3131.

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New owner: Maintaining the status quo was just fine with Jennifer Kenton when she took control of Cafe Zack in Ventura a few months ago.

Over the years the popular eatery, started in 1993 by sisters Linda Bright and Margee Cooper, has been winning over customers with its individuality and an inventive array of foods.

“I really didn’t want to change anything,” said Kenton, who purchased the restaurant from Bright in August. (Cooper sold her half of the business in 1995.) “I was very happy with the way everything was when I arrived.”

The core of Team Cafe Zack remains in place. Chef John Cooper, Bright’s brother, is still in charge of the kitchen and the menu. Longtime patrons are still being served by the friendly and always professional waiter duo of Alfonso Bello and Hector Gomez.

Even Cafe Zack’s scrumptious dessert offerings, formerly prepared by Bright, remain mostly intact: When the sale was completed, Bright handed over her recipes to Kenton.

“I pretty much do the same things,” said Kenton, who now serves as house pastry chef. “The customers here were quite attached to Linda’s desserts, and I am continuing on that tradition.”

Kenton’s many dessert doings include tiramisu, orange pecan bread pudding, Zack’s pie, apple dumplings and mascarpone cheesecake.

One idea Kenton said she is likely to implement soon will be opening for lunch on Mondays. That news should please the Ventura lunch crowd, which historically has chosen from a short list of restaurants doing business on Mondays.

DETAILS

Cafe Zack, 1095 Thompson Blvd., Ventura. Hours: lunch, Tue.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m; dinner, Tue.-Sat., 5:30-9 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Call 643-9445.

Rodney Bosch writes about the restaurant scene in Ventura County and outlying points. He can be reached at 653-7572, fax 653-7576 or by e-mail at: rodney.bosch@latimes.com.