Business Profile: The Chophouse Grille, Mahopac
Continuing the renaissance of Mahopac’s business community, a new steakhouse has opened on Route 6 that gives patrons a metropolitan vibe close to home.
The Chophouse Grille will be the hot spot in Putnam County as its striking yet warm motif makes one feel immediately welcome and its delicious fresh steaks and seafood will make customers come back for more.
Matthew Camerino, 21, and Toni Vulaj, 37, both of Mohegan Lake, are the owners of the restaurant. The two have been managing other people’s restaurants for years and met a few years ago when they both managed Augie’s Prime Cut in Mohegan Lake.
“About two years ago we started to talk about what we would do and how we would do things differently if we owned a restaurant,” said Vulaj. “We have always said what we were going to do it together once we realized we were both looking for much of the same thing.”
With a combined 30 years of restaurant experience, the duo decided it was time to venture out on their own and employ their hands-on approach.
“In this area you won’t see two owners more involved and I’m not talking about micromanagement,” said Vulaj. “I’m talking about taking care of patrons. For instance, if are going to be filleting fish at a table for a customer, Matt and I are going to be the one filleting fish on the table. We will be waiting on a lot of the people ourselves; talking about the specials and making people feel comfortable for the whole night. It is better than hiring somebody else and screaming at them for not doing it your way.”
Being active in the restaurant’s day-to-day activities Vulaj and Camerino believe they can be more efficient than some other businesses which will allow them to offer a high-end menu with forcing people to break the bank.
“It is not the cliché customer service that everyone talks about, said Vulaj. “I’ve seen customer service, there is another aspect of customer service that we bring to the table. I’m talking about making people feel like they’re at home.”
“Our slogan is to do things the right way,” said Camerino. “That’s why we are here and people will hopefully understand and they’ll know, and if they don’t, they will.”
The two will be doing all the purchasing for the restaurant to ensure the freshness of the food. “The beef is the only thing delivered to us, because the market does not always provide the grade quality that we are looking for and we go to the vendor that we trust, who will give us exactly what we need,” said Vulaj, who cuts the beef in-house.
Look for a variety of homemade desserts on the menu, with tasty treats like banana fontaine, crème brulee, New York cheesecake and apple strudel.
The Chophouse Grille has both an enclosed dining room as well as a large bar area that allows customers a choice of setting.
“We offer family dining, with a full children’s menu, but we also the perfect place to come back to have a couple of laughs and a few cocktails, said Vulaj.
In addition to a changing menu that will allow people to be constantly trying something new, The Chophouse Grille offers craft beers, a specialty drink list and a full wine menu. It offers happy hour on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Chophouse Grill, located at 957 Route 6 Plaza in Mahopac, is open from 3 p.m. to close Tuesday through Saturday (with the kitchen closing at 11 p.m.) On Sunday the restaurant opens at noon and the kitchen closes at 9 p.m.
It is having a grand-opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. and all are invited.
For more information, visit thechophousegrille.com or call 845-628-8300.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
