DINING BEAT; TICKLE YOUR TASTE BUDS.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Barbecued-rib fanciers will be pleased to hear that the multi award- winning Rib Ticklers by Dennis Ofthsun has resurfaced in Camarillo. It is located in Camarillo Bowl's restaurant at 305 Arneill Road.

Ofthsun is the current barbecue sauce king hereabouts. His Thermo, Nytro and Turbo sauces have won or placed in several of the major barbecue tastings and cook-offs in the nation. For a brief time he was associated with an Agoura rib restaurant.

But Ofthsun wanted a place of his own. Now he has it and he produces baby backs, pulled pork, beef brisket, beef ribs, tri-tip, chicken and smoked pork roast in various forms, each available with one of his four sauces.

Information: [phone].

AU REVOIR, CHEF GIRAUD

One of the top chefs in this area, French cuisine maestro Alain Giraud, former resident chef at Citrus and currently executive chef at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, is leaving his hotel post.

Giraud said he's departing from Loews Feb. 8 to make his dream of owning his own restaurant come true.

The talented Giraud, who brought accolades nationally with his Provence-style food to the hotel's Lavande restaurant, said he has the backing and will seek locations around Los Angeles for his restaurant. For those who wish to sample his Lavande fare at least one more time, reservations are being taken at [phone].

NAPKIN NOTES

Former Rodeo Summit Hotel and Cicada chef Michael Shaheen has taken over stove duties at Windows, the steak house and martini bar dinery that replaced The Tower atop downtown's lofty Transamerica Center building. Menu changes will be made after Valentine's Day, said Shaheen ... Newcomers: Big Mama's Kitchen, serving New Orleans-style soul food, has opened at 22526 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, [phone]. A fourth Sisley is now operating in Thousand Oaks at 446 W. Hillcrest Blvd., [phone]. Others are in Valencia, Sherman Oaks and West Los Angeles. Mario Oliver's Linq has replaced Limbo at 8338 W. Third St., Los Angeles, [phone], with chef Andre Guerrero in charge of the kitchen. Mojo is the new nuevo-Latino restaurant in the refurbished W Hotel (formerly the Westwood Marquis) at 930 Hilgard Ave., Westwood, [phone].