Hooks & Chops closes in Commack
Seared diver scallops with shrimp and chorizo paella, smoked paprika and chives at Hooks & Chops in Commack. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Hooks & Chops, a popular Commack steak and seafood restaurant that opened in 2020, has shuttered. The announcement came Friday via a post on the eatery’s Facebook page.
“Due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, head chef and owner Steven Del Lima is saddened to say Hooks & Chops has been forced to close its doors,” it reads in part. “We’d like to give a big thank you to our loyal staff and clientele for supporting us and we thank you all for the last two years of service.” Del Lima did not respond to requests for comment.
“It’s very important to me that people walk in the door and know that they’re safe,” he told Newsday in the summer of 2020 while putting the finishing touches on Hooks & Chops, acknowledging the challenges of opening an eatery in the midst of a raging pandemic.
Del Lima, a veteran of Daniel, Le Bernardin and other celebrated Manhattan kitchens, and the former executive chef of Huntington’s Piccolo Mondo, debuted Hooks & Chops in October of that year, garnering praise from diners and critics. It was named to Newsday’s list of Top 100 restaurants in 2021, and had just been named to the 2022 list when news of the closure was announced.
In a follow-up Facebook post Sunday, the restaurant attempted to address complaints by patrons who had purchased or received gift cards just days before the closing announcement, writing that "a choice of either a full refund, or to use your gift card at another local restaurant."
