As Copia tightens its belt and narrows its focus, the facility’s award-winning restaurant, Julia’s Kitchen, is also undergoing change.

For nearly four years, Victor Scargle has helmed the culinary team at Julia’s Kitchen, impressing everyone from local foodies to international food writers with creative menus, toothsome cuisine and attractive restaurant events.

Later this month, Scargle will turn his sights on a brand new wine country operation, Cindy Pawlcyn’s Go Fish, which not only is the valley’s first eatery to focus on fruits of the sea, but also incorporates a sushi bar within the operation.

Succeeding Scargle will be his sous chef for the past two-and-a-half years, Jeff Mosher.

“Jeff has had menu input for quite a while,” Scargle said of his co-worker. “It’s not as if someone new will be running the kitchen.”

Mosher intends to retain the well-received culinary style developed by Scargle. “We’ll continue to focus on (fresh produce from) the (Copia) garden... and clean, simple flavors. But I also want to work more Julia Child influences into the menu. Not that we’ll be preparing all of her recipes, but some that people have enjoyed. I would like to see more of her in what we do.”

Scargle said he is pleased to be taking charge of the new Go Fish kitchen. “It fits in with what I was doing when I was at Aqua in San Francisco with (chef) Michael Mina and with (chef) Traci Des Jardins at Jardiniere, and also here at Julia’s Kitchen.

“It’s all about seasonal, fresh flavors — dishes that are simple and clean. The concept at Go Fish is seafood from the Pacific Ocean as well as fresh produce grown in the garden at Mustards Grill, which Cindy owns as well.

“This is a great opportunity to work with Cindy, who is well known and respected in the valley, and to grow the company with her team.”

Scargle’s last day at Julia’s Kitchen is Nov. 18. Shortly after Thanksgiving, he’ll head to St. Helena to team up with Pawlcyn, sushi master Ken Tominaga and operations director Sean Knight.

Despite rumors to the contrary, pastry chef Nicole Plue will continue to provide her innovative, tasty desserts for Julia’s Kitchen diners, Mosher advised.

The new executive chef at Julia’s Kitchen said his interest in cuisine was initially piqued while studying at Oberlin College in Ohio. Working at a local pizzeria, “I was attracted to the camaraderie that is apparent in every kitchen, and I loved the thrill and adrenaline rush of working on the line. During my junior year, I decided to develop my culinary interests further by spending a semester studying — and eating — in Strasbourg, France.”

He was hooked, and following graduation he moved to San Francisco, where he accepted a job as line cook at E and O Trading Company. He worked at several small city restaurants before joining the culinary team at Campton Place, where he wound up working with acclaimed chefs Laurent Manrique and Daniel Humm. He joined the Julia’s Kitchen team in the spring of 2004. He lives in Napa with his wife and two children, Sam and Elia, “who are by far my toughest critics.”

Julia’s Kitchen (500 First St., Napa) serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Monday and dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 Thursday through Sunday.

Go Fish (641 Main St., St. Helena) is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., until 10:30 on weekends. The sushi bar is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.