WELLS — There’s been a lot of work going on at the former Billy’s To Go restaurant on Mile Road in Wells lately. And the pace of work has accelerated recently as owners Dick and Sherri Varano strive to open their third restaurant in the immediate area. This one, known as the Wells Beach Steak House, is scheduled to open on May 14. That’s why the work has stepped up in intensity.

“We’re doing a complete transformation,” Dick Varano said. “Wells is known for a lot of good restaurants, but no one has done one that’s super high end, gourmet. We thought ‘what if we did a really high end steak house?'”

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Varano, who also owns Billy’s Chowder House and Varano’s on Mile Road, said that he and Sherri are members of an association of about 120 independent restaurants. He said the idea for the new steak house came from a meeting of that group. “At a meeting about 14 months ago, we sat down in a strategy circle,” Varano said. “[The facilitator said] what major thing would you like to do in the next year? Sherri and I came up with the idea to do something high end. I did a tour in Boston as a chef after I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. I had always done high end.”

Varano moved into business in Wells in 1990, when he purchased Billy’s. In 2000, they opened Varano’s, an Italian Restaurant. Billy’s To Go opened in 1990, as well. “There wasn’t as much need for Billy’s To Go now as there was in 1990,” Varano said. “It had become more of a hassle and we lost interest in it.”

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It’s been a team effort to get the new restaurant going. In addition to Dick and Sherri, daughter Vanessa and her friend John Dal Canton, both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America are involved, as are General Manager Jon Shoeck and Executive Chef Scott Wilder. “Vanessa and John will be co-managers and will help train the new staff,” said Varano. “They’ll work with Jon Shoeck.”

The design team also included Phyllis Ann Marshall, a Los Angeles-based restaurant designer. “She graduated from chef school with Wolfgang Puck,” Varano said. “Her energy level is tremendous. She did the sign and our logos.”

Varano said identifying the restaurant’s name was critical to the effort. “That was the biggest,” he said. “It’s the Wells Beach Steak House and T-Bone Lounge. It says who we are, where we are, and what we are. We’re a steak house that serves cocktails. The name immediately defines us and that’s key.”

Varano emphasized that the new place might not be for everyone. “It’s going to be expensive,” he said. “It’s for people who are willing to pay whatever it takes for great steaks and ambiance.”

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The menu will obviously include steaks, but also will have grilled fish and lobster, with a large seafood appetizer selection. “The steaks will be priced from $33 to $50,” said Varano. “Everything is aged prime beef.”

The ambiance in the lounge includes a ceiling with a starry night affect and wall lamps that resemble martini glasses. “We’ll have 20 single malt scotches,” Varano said. “We have a nice international wine list.”

The Wells Beach Steak House will seat about 120 in the dining rooms and another 28 in the lounge. They plan to be open seven days a week for dinner only.

Varano encouraged people to give the new place a try. “We have two quality establishments already,” he said. “People know if we do something, it will be high quality.”

Source: https://t-tees.com
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