DINING BEAT : CHEFS COME, AND CHEFS GO.

Byline: Larry Lipson

More chef departures: Desi Szonntagh, opening chef at 2087 - An American Bistro, the bold new restaurant at 2087 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, has left ``to pursue other opportunities.'' His replacement: Steve Caman, previously the Sherwood Country Club chef.

And chef Neal Fraser is no longer with Boxer, 7615 W. Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles. Michael Plapp, currently at Campanile, will take over Fraser's spot Saturday.

Giant ants - yum

Those jaded folk who are tired of eating stir-fried crickets at Typhoon, the intriguing multi-Asian restaurant at the Santa Monica Airport (3221 Donald Douglas Loop South), can now rejoice at the chance of trying a new Asian delicacy.

Whole, dried, giant mountain ants bred for human consumption in the Changbal Mountains of northeast China have been added to the menu.

Typhoon owner Brian Vidor, who said his clientele is not yet ready to eat scorpions, another Chinese culinary custom, will serve the ants as an appetizer on a mound of seasoned shoestring potatoes.

And yes, Typhoon also serves a variety of more familiar Asian specialties such as noodle dishes.

Information and reservations: [phone].

Vincenti to open

Maureen Vincenti said she expects to open the much-awaited Vincenti, the tribute restaurant to her late husband, restaurateur Mauro Vincenti, within a few days.

Located appropriately at 11930 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, previously Lotus West, ``It will be beautiful, '' she promises.

Information: [phone].

Napkin notes

Arroyo Chop House,536 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, has been opened by the adjacent Parkway Grill people who hired a Ruth's Chris chef, David Tellez, to handle its prime beef in the former Zole building. Reservations: [phone]. . . . From down under to Down Under is Sizzler International Inc., which secured a $45 million loan from an Australian bank to get out of Chapter 11. . . . The name of the week in the current issue of the trade publication Nation's Restaurant News goes to The Great Impasta, an eatery in Danville, Calif.