Cammeray's Wilcox & Co set to open

Few restaurants have courted as much controversy before serving their first customer as Cammeray's Wilcox & Co.

The lower North Shore restaurant raised the ire of Melbourne's Andrew McConnell late last year when it released a logo eerily similar to the chef's Fitzroy icon, Cutler & Co. McConnell called it a "blatant rip-off". The restaurant ended up removing it, labelling it a "mix-up".

But behind the scenes Wilcox & Co was rocked, co-owner Carlo Maggio saying team members responsible for the logo have ''moved on", new co-owners drafted in and the moniker changed to Wilcox.

Incoming co-owners, including Glenn Stalley and chef Andrew Talese (Victoria Rooms), have joined the start-up, which opens its doors to the public tonight at 463 Miller Street, Cammeray.

The opening menu is simple, with a twist. It includes seared sea scallops married with cauliflower puree and kale, quail teamed with artichoke, and pea and mint tortellini.

There's a pasta course, and mains of snapper and Berkshire pork fillet. Hopefully the focus from hereon in will be on the food at Wilcox.

It has big shoes to fill, its name a homage to local institution Wilcox Quality Meats, which traded under the same family for a remarkable 86 years.