Carmel Valley Chophouse debuts with a preview today (Dec. 2).

For an enterprising restaurant couple who had no ambitions of opening such a place, Fabrice and Jennifer Roux have put together one promising steakhouse.

The forthcoming Carmel Valley Chophouse's "chop & specialty" selection drips with indulgences like the venison chop ($45), Wagyu beef back ribs ($24) and reserve certified Angus bone-in New York strip ($38), all aged in-house (for 11, 21 and 32 days, respectively), which allows flavors to deepen and enzymes to naturally tenderize the meat.

There's also an Angus ribeye ($38) and filet ($36), wet-aged 21 days each (like most steaks), and a smoked Wagyy brisket ($24) too.

(All prices are preliminary, and include a side and a sauce.)

It's a well-rounded menu, with eye-catching appetizers (laughing bird shrimp, Chophouse beer chili), seafood (1.25-pound Maine lobster Thermidor), sides (duck fat fries) and a bison burger (with crispy cheddar cheese and a bourbon onion glaze), but the real clout comes with the "add-on"s: seared foie gras ($11), bone marrow ($7), half lobster tail (MP) and crab cake ($8).

Befitting a name like Roux, there are rock-solid sauces too, including a cognac three-peppercorn sauce ($3.50 a la carte).

The plan wasn't a steakhouse because—on the heels of their success opening popular Roux, one of Carmel Valley's best new restaurants in years—they wanted to develop a French bistro.

Only then destination steakhouse Will's Fargo shuttered and they were staring at a compelling community hunger for primo red meat. So they changed direction.

Meanwhile, they knew people were so excited for the sequel they wanted to keep it quiet as long as possible to minimize angst, ducking my calls and forcing me to go digging for a June 15 piece that uncovered their plans, called "Chophouse ready to fill Lokal void in Carmel Valley."

The overhaul of the former Lokal proves impressive, with a long bar surfaced with shiny pennies, a sleek beef-aging cabinet next to the sizable glass-paneled wine cellar (and its nearly 300 bottles, magnums included) and black upholstered bank seating along the western wall.

The patio enjoys a new raised deck where the pocket chef garden used to be, a party bar with stools, and a projection screen for sports or classic movies. Canopies and fancy heaters come next. Hopefully the pizza oven comes into play too.

After the elastic nearly half year it took to get the place ready, the question might be who's more eager for it to open, the Rouxes or local diners?

That anticipation means today's open-to-the-public Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and tasting will be one of the more poppin' cuttings for a while (that happens 2-4pm today, Saturday, Dec. 2, with tastes and sips).

When I stopped by a few days before Thanksgiving, Fabrice was busy arranging everything from the back bar to the kitchen to the meats in the chilly aging case.

Now that the restaurant is open, response has been so robust they've had to abandon their plan to prohibit reservations to manage all the eager visitors. 

Hours are 4:30-10pm (dinner until 8pm) Tuesday-Sunday, 4-11pm Friday-Saturday (dinner 9pm), closed Mondays. 

More info via 659-5886 and carmelvalleychophouse.com.