The following are summaries of recent Times...

The following are summaries of recent Times restaurant reviews.

Z Pizza, 30902 Pacific Coast Highway, South Laguna. (714) 499-4949. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

7th Heaven, 3333 Bear St . in the Crystal Court, Costa Mesa. (714) 668- 9464. Open Mondays through Fridays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays 9 to 6, Sundays 10 to 6.

Z Pizza serves eccentric, internationally accented pizzas that have plenty of flash and flavors. Particularly engaging is a Moroccan style pizza with eggplant and pine nuts, and the Pissaladiere Nicoise, a cheeseless pie with anchovies and Provencal herbs. The chewy, fragrant crusts are mini-masterpieces all by themselves.

7th Heaven is a movable feast, a full-blown urban takeout emporium for grown-up tastes. Don’t miss such specialties as Chinese lacquered chicken, jalapeno corn pudding or a dazzling array of trendy salads. There are abundant pastes and cheeses for the picnic basket. Desserts like bread pudding and rich chocolate cookies are terrific.

Scott’s Seafood Grill, 3330 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 979-2400. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Scott’s Seafood Grill made a killer impression on me the first time I ate there, but the year was 1976 and the city was San Francisco. That was then, this is now. Today, in a stunning new Coast Mesa location, the romance wears a bit thin. Good oysters, rich clam chowder and a good wine list make for pleasant beginnings but the fresh mesquite-grilled fish is often devoid of flavor, as one would expect in such a high-volume operation. Save room for the homemade desserts and the good espresso.

Stix, 28251 Crown Valley Parkway at the Center at Ranch Miguel, Laguna Niguel. (714) 831-7849. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. weekends.

Stix is a bright, airy, mirror-lined new Chinese restaurant where the cooking offers few surprises but is straightforward and safe: no MSG, high-quality oils like peanut and sesame, you get it. The various kung paos, pan fried dumplings and twice-cooked pork may lack the hotness and brio they have in Chinatown or Monterey Park, but added color and crunch make up for it.

Gustav Anders, (South Coast Plaza Village), 3610 S. Plaza Drive, Santa Ana. (714) 668-1737. Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to midnight.

Gustav Anders is a recent arrival from La Jolla, where it received critical raves from customers and critics alike. Here, in a beautiful setting, it fails to live up to its promise. Service is spotty and disorganized. The kitchen shows only occasional flashes of the brilliance for which Anders once was known. Chef Ulf Strandberg has a deft hand with smoked fish, pate, and salads. But his main dishes, such as the insipid deep fried sweetbread or too-sharp rabbit livers, are disappointing.

Mayur, 2931 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (714) 675-6622. Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.; Saturdays 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.; Sundays noon to 11:30 p.m.

Breads like naan and aijwan paratha are perfect, steaming from the tandoor. Fish tikka comes dripping spice. Lamb vindaloo, a Goan preparation with vinegar, chili and potato, is hot, fragrant and well balanced. Be wary of the oily vegetable dishes and the unctuous service.

Spaghettini, 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach. (213) 596-2199. Open Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays noon to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10:30 p.m.; Sundays noon to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

A swank Seal Beach grill and pasta house, Spaghettini gets by largely on beauty: The food is somewhat spotty. Appetizers have little character, but pizzas are full grown and yeasty, fresh from an oak-burning brick oven. Pastas are made fresh daily but are not necessarily well prepared. Linguini clams turns out to be a bowl of sticky glop. It’s best to stick with items from the restaurant’s mesquite grill, like the perfectly blackened veal chop or the excellent mixed grill.

El Ranchito, 1351-H Beach Blvd., La Habra. (213) 943-6020. Open Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 10 p.m.

Manana, 17171 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley. (714) 963-8673. Open Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. ; Fridays and Saturdays to 11 p.m.

La Salsa, Irvine Ranch Farmers Market, Fashion Island, Newport Beach ((714) 640-4289) and Santa Ana MainPlace ((714) 543-9524). Open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; weekdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends.

Everyone, it seems, has his secret Mexican haunt, where the chilies are hotter or the tortillas fresher. El Ranchito is the place for carnitas, chunked pork marinated in lemon and garlic, and for some of the most toothsome handmade tortillas in the area. Larry Cano’s Manana specializes in fajitas, giant portions that easily feed two, loaded with trimmed meats, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes and carmelized onion. Best of all is La Salsa, a humble food stand dispensing antojitos, soft tacos, quesadillas and Mexican sandwiches. Meats here are impeccable, accompaniments rapturous.

Gemmell’s, 3000 Bristol St., Costa Mesa . (714) 751-1074. Open Mondays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Mondays through Saturdays, 6 to 10:30 p.m.

You’ve seen it all before: the quiet, understated rooms, the tables draped like ballroom gowns, the silver domes, the brandy cart. At Gemmell’s, thank heaven, it all makes sense. Treat yourself to an evening here, feasting on such specialties as goose liver wrapped in blackened cabbage, lobster in Sauteres, veal chop with morels. Chef Byron Gemmell has a carefuly designed menu with nearly every item on it worthy of praise. Prepare to pay handsomely for the privlege of praising.

McCormick and Schmick, 2000 Main St., Irvine. (714) 756-0505. Open Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays, 5 to 11 p.m.; Sundays, 5 to 10 p.m.

McCormick and Schmick is the latest member of an exclusive chain that started in the Pacific Northwest, a slick, muscular operation specializing in fresh seafoods and the food is terrific. Oysters like Quilicene, Olympia, Golden Mantle, and Skookum taste as if they have just been dragged from the sea. Fish like Copper River salmon in cream wiith bay scallops, or sea bass with Jamaican spices, are good enough to make a grown man weep. Non-fish eaters can feast on marinated chicken, or Cajun cheeseburgers. Head of the class.

China Palms, (Fullerton Metro Center), 104 W. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton. (714) 526-2196. Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Joe Ling put a palm tree in the middle of his restaurant, an airy, ultra-modern dining room in Fullerton’s spanking new Metro Center. But there is nothing tropical about the solid pan-Chinese food he serves, made in one of the most accomplished Chinese kitchens around. Cold dishes, dumplings and first-rate soups make perfect beginnings. Honey-glazed bananas, plunged steaming into an ice-filled bowl tableside, make perfect endings. The goodies you can have in between are too numerous to mention.

Ferrantelli, 25001 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point. (714) 493-1401. Open Mondays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Sundays through Thursdays, 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 11 p.m.

Ferrantelli is an engaging dockside pasta house that doesn’t take a lot of chances but offers solid meals. The house antipasto, a stunning palette of color and taste, gives an idea of the type of effort the kitchen puts in with its limited skill. Pastas are fine, too, made fresh daily by Pasta Mia and embellished with a variety of good sauces. But the veal dishes are tasteless, and main courses are often sweet and cloying.

Yankee Tavern, 333 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach. (714) 675 5333. Open nightly, 5:30 to midnight.

Those who know Yankee Tavern owner Hans Prager as proprietor of the Ritz may be surprised to see him in this urban roadhouse, catering to a crowd hungry for low prices, speedy service and an unpretentious menu. The food here is almost unfailingly good, though, in a cafeteria-style manner. Meat loaf, pot pie, lamb shanks and fresh seafoods are featured along with many New England style dishes such as Little Neck clams, seafood stew and blueberry cobbler. Good fun.

Kachina, 222 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. (714) 497-5546. Open nightly from 5:30 to 10.

Kachina is new, but it already may be the county’s best restaurant. Named for an American Indian doll of the Southwest, the restaurant serves food that is rare and exotic--edible art. David Wilhelm, late of Pave and the El Torito Grill, has composed a menu featuring some of the most imaginative, intelligent cooking this side of the Twilight Zone, full of sumptuous tastes and color-splashed textures. Run, don’t walk, to taste their green corn tamale, honey-glazed pork and celestial chocolate bread pudding. And go early.

Agostino’s, 34700 Coast Highway, Capistrano Beach. (714) 661-8266. Open Tuesdays through Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.

Entirely new management is in place at this Chicago-style Italian restaurant, famous for its homemade sausage and romantic beach view. Much of the menu, including the tableside Caesar and the rich, creamy pastas, is the same as it was when the place was called Sabatino’s. But Agostino already has added many seafood dishes including mussels, fresh salmon, and calamari. The bar is as good a hangout as you’ll find on Capo Beach.

Pinnacle Peak, 9100 Trask Ave., Garden Grove. (714) 892-7311. Open Mondays through Fridays, 5 to 9:30 p.m. ; weekends to 10 p.m.

Crazy Horse Steak House, 1580 Brookhollow Drive, Santa Ana. (714) 549-1512. Open Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

While everyone else is busy disavowing addiction to good steak, sneak off to one of these places. Leave the tie at home when you visit Pinnacle Peak; someone will sneak up on you and cut it off. Honest. The restaurant’s trail boss steak, cooked over an open flame, is a char-broiled monster, a great value at $9.95. The Crazy Horse is a bit longer on atmosphere but, apart from the high-grade beef, it’s run-of-the-mill. Many of the side dishes have been frozen, and the whole place has a packaged feel about it.