PHOTOS: Wilmette Chop House Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The has been open for business for nearly six months now. But that didn’t stop the Italian steakhouse form dishing out the finger food and pouring drinks for the few dozen people who came out Thursday evening for the restaurant’s official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Rob Wallace, owner and head chef of the eatery, which sits at 1162 Wilmette Ave., said he waited to hold the celebration until locals returned from summer vacation.

Wallace said the new eatery has been received well. He credits part of the restaurant’s success to the locally sourced alcohol and ingredients.

“One of the important things for us is that we’re only using one vendor for each of our suppliers,” Wallace said. “We have one wine vendor, we have one beer vendor and we have one spirits vendor. We go to the market Saturday mornings here. We pick up some for our produce. We like to stay in the neighborhood.”

Want to follow similar articles? Sign up for our newsletter and "like" us on Facebook!

Wilmette Chop House gets its beer from only Louis Blunz Beer, Inc., its wine from only Winebow winery and its sprits from only North Shore Distillery.

The most popular items at Wilmette Chop House include a 32 ounce bone-in rib-eye steak and a parmesan-encrusted whitefish, Wallace said.

Village President of Wilmette Christopher Canning attended the ceremony, speaking briefly on the value Chop House brought to the whole village.

“It’s not just a place to eat, but it’s a place to build community,” Canning said. “Thank you for being our new neighbors. Thank you for adding to the fabric of our community.”

Wallace said that while the restaurant has been busy on weekends, one of his current aims is to attract a larger mid-week crowd by offering a $15 “special early menu” on Tuesday through Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Eaten at Wilmette Chop House? Let others know what you think by writing a review on the !