VUE

T he specialty butcher shop officially opened in May 2019. At first, it was a butcher shop where you could enjoy sandwiches and pizza while connecting with the butcher. Surprisingly, aer only three days of being opened, people started to ask D'Ambrisi if they could come in for dinner. Never in a million years did D'Ambrisi think he would open a restaurant because of his zero experience in the industry. However, aer more people started asking, he turned to his executive chef, Bud Carter. Carter and D'Ambrisi have known each other since elementary school and have been close friends ever since. Before the Butcher's Block, Carter was working at a local restaurant that D'Ambrisi would sell meat to. "When I was putting this project together, I thought Bud is the guy. He has my personality and my style, I love him as a person," D'Ambrisi explained. "I had no experience in this industry, but he does." One night, they called a few friends and hosted dinner for them. As the days went on, more people started coming in. ey had to start grabbing every chair they had from their houses to keep up with all the customers. ey are now doing about 300 to 350 covers per night. At first, they did not even have a set menu for the restaurant. ey were telling people this is what they were serving tonight based on the products they had and depending on the season. Everything was being made from scratch. e restaurant does not focus on a niche cuisine. D'Ambrisi believes that cuisine is based on culture and they are continuing to create theirs. "We are changing but at the same time we want to stay to our roots—what we're good at and what we are, just keeping it simple," D'Ambrisi said. "As long as it derives around our core of meat, I think that's the key." V U E N J . C O M 112

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