DINE BEAT : RESTAURANT NOTES PROGRESSIVE A LA LEILA'S.

Byline: - Larry Lipson, Restaurant Critic

Peyman Afshar calls his new restaurant's food ``progressive American.''

Afshar, who opened Leila's a month ago in Oak Park at 752 Lindero Canyon Road, sold his Tribeca restaurant in Portland, Ore., to move his family near to his parents' home in the Agoura area.

He also brought his Tribeca chef, Sebastian Carosi, to head the kitchen at the new Leila's.

And he brought a new culinary spirit to this neck of the woods with what he terms ``a different style of cooking.''

An intriguing example is Leila's Hawaiian ono fish dish ($17). Flavored with sesame and coriander, the grilled ono is accompanied by peppered and caramelized pineapple and a tangerine and li hing moi vinaigrette.

Li hing moi, explains Afshar, is a ``salty Hawaiian dried plum.''

The Hawaiian accent at this restaurant continues with a Kona coffee-flavored grilled New York steak ($19) that's served on Peruvian purple mashed potatoes with wilted spinach and a ginger demi-glace.

Leila's appetizers, which include a skewered beef creation described as pomegranate and orange beef satay ($7) with a shiitake and soba slaw, range from $5 to $7. Entrees are ticketed from $10 to $19, and desserts are $6 each.

Committed to innovation, Leila's changes menus approximately every three weeks.

It's open strictly for dinner nightly except Monday, and only takes reservations for parties of six or more.

Information: [phone].

Another Soy Bean

The West Los Angeles Chinese restaurant Soy Bean has opened a second location in the San Fernando Valley.

The new Soy Bean replaces Art's Chinese Cuisine in Tarzana at 19100 Ventura Blvd.

Favored specialties include Shanghai steamed dumplings, Peking duck, orange chicken, honey-glazed walnut shrimp, chow fun noodles, whole fish and a dozen steamed dishes prepared without salt, sugar and cornstarch and served with brown rice and sauce on the side.

The original Soy Bean continues at 11966 Wilshire Blvd. [phone].

For additional information on the new location, call [phone].

Festival of food

You'll be able to taste Pasadena chef-restaurateur Hugo Molina's Mexican cocoa crepe stuffed with leeks, shrimp and manchego cheese and finished with a rum coconut sauce at the upcoming Best of L.A. Festival.

Set for July 23-25 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the fourth annual edition of this food, wine and music event will present food samples of such restaurants as the Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Cyrano, 360 Hollywood, Cava/Cha Cha Cha, Chaya Brasserie, Bistro Garden, Legacy, Lavande, JiRaffe, Le Chardonnay, Reign, Pagani, Maui Beach Cafe and Tahiti.

For tickets ($10) and details call [phone].

Napkin notes

Appropriately named - it is, after all, the height of summer - new restaurant at 7313 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles is Solstice owned by chef Hugo Veltman, whose credits include Patina here and Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. Fare is French-Californian and entrees run from $13.50 to $18. Reservations: [phone]. . . . Seems that the former Synanon/Pritikin facility at 1910 Oceanfront Walk, Santa Monica, will be revived (opening late summer) as the Casa del Mar, this time a hotel.

Built originally as a private beach club, the new edition will sport a 75-seat restaurant dubbed Oceanfront.