Will Bob Sambol's Old Partner Get the Steakhouse on Lemmon? Or Will Del Frisco's?

I've had today's date circled on my calendar since October 7: This was to be the day Bob's Steak & Chop House went on the auction block. And ever since this morning, when we got word that there was at least one heretofore unmentioned notable interested in taking Bob Sambol's Lemmon Avenue eatery at a deep discount, I've been trying to reach both Sambol and Robert Milbank, the Dallas attorney who took over as trustee after the U.S. Trustee deemed Sambol too conflicted to best represent the interest of his creditors. Several messages later, and no luck.

Finally, moments ago, I got hold of Sambol at the restaurant, and he says today's auction "was abruptly ended because of a lot of misunderstanding or clarification of terms." There are presently two bids on the table: one from BSCH Management, which is owned and operated by Bill Lenox (Sambol's partner back when he opened the Lemmon Ave. location in December 1994) and Omni Hotels Corporation; and one from Del Frisco's. The Del Frisco's bid of around $240,000 is slightly higher than BSCH's, but, according to Sambol, Milbank ended today's proceedings because of myriad questions over the bidding process. It's scheduled to resume on November 23.

Till then, Sambol says, "It's business as usual, and I am still at my restaurant, and I am looking forward to sticking around." Which may not be as simple as it sounds, because while Lenox's bid includes a caveat that will allow Sambol to remain at his namesake eatery, Del Frisco's does not.

"I am hoping that no matter what happens," Sambol says, "I get to keep running this restaurant."