Frank DePanise, most recently one of the...

Frank DePanise, most recently one of the chefs at the Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club, took over last week as the main chef of the Shoals Restaurant at Ventura’s Cliff House Inn. And some major changes are in store.

“The guy (Thierry Bregeon) who was here before was a little into old-style California cuisine,” said the 36-year-old DePanise. “I’m doing something a little more rustic, a little more ethnic. I worked at Allegro’s in Santa Barbara and we did Mediterranean things, dishes from Morocco, Spain, Greece, Italy, France. I’m going to bring some of that here, I think.”

DePanise, who also worked at Norbert’s Restaurant and Brigitte’s in Santa Barbara, said to expect the menu to continue to change regularly, as it did before his arrival. Also expect some of the same standard items to be included on it. “There will always be two or three fresh fish and meat dishes, some pasta and vegetable dishes,” he said. “But I’m going to stay away from heavier sauces and creams.”

The Shoals is located at 6602 W. Pacific Coast Highway.

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What happened to former Shoals chef Bregeon? He’s now at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara. And as for the Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club, restaurant manager Linda Medd said DePanise has not been replaced.

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More than 15,000 people are expected at the three-day “Taste of Ventura County” food and wine festival, beginning Friday at Channel Islands Harbor.

Sixteen restaurants in the county--including La Dolce Vita, Capistrano’s, The Whale’s Tail, and Yasmeen’s--plus an ice cream shop and the Oxnard Farmers’ Market, will sell sample-size food servings for $1 to $5. Four wineries and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will have booths set up for thirst-quenching purposes.

“People can literally go to six or seven restaurants, depending on how hungry they are,” said Susan O’Brien, executive director of the Channel Island Harbor Assn. of Lessees, the event organizer. “There’s a good cross-section--everything from steakhouses, to Indian restaurants, to Greek restaurants.”

Festival hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, with musical entertainment throughout. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for military personnel and persons 55 and older, and free for children under age 12.