| St. Joe gets a new steakhouse, Brazilian-style |
We know what you're thinking: St. Joseph?
One of the developers of the new restaurant, Kenny O'Mara, has heard all the naysayers too: "Yes, I've heard people say that Em Chamas is too expensive for St. Joseph, that this city doesn't have the right demographics for an upscale restaurant, that it shouldn't be downtown. But we think it's going to be a success."
| Hot meat in the kitchen: Chef Tomas DiGregorio fires up the stoves |
The building that houses the new Em Chamas once held a drug store and a music business on the first floor (the original tile floors are intact) and a bowling alley on the second, which has been transformed into another dining area. There had been, in more recent years, a nightclub on the third floor; Silvio and Argentinian chef Tomas DiGregorio would like to put an outdoor deck on this floor and maybe a nightclub.
| Em Chamas bartenders Vic Rodriguez and Ryan Scroggins |
In the main dining area, the ironwork near the staircases still boast the musical clef notes from the Eshelman Music Store, once an important retail shop in downtown St. Joseph. "This building is amazingly well-built," said Kenny O'Mara, who likes to show off the striking tilework in the basement, the arches in the thick brick walls, and the cast-iron columns up on the second floor. "Half of this building survived a terrible fire in 1960," he said, "but so many original details survived."
When this new Em Chamas restaurant opens next week, it will be the only upscale restaurant in St. Joseph and one of the few dining venues in the city's downtown, which still boasts the glorious Missouri Theater movie palace -- now a live entertainment venue -- but a lot of vacant buildings dating back to the glory days of this town, which was once a rival to Kansas City as a cosmopolitan community.
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Ok really, `You' out there. So you don't care for St. Joe fine. Who needs you anyway.
How mean to call St. Joe 'mostly' white trash wow how considerate of you to spare the
rest of St.. Joseph. The people are working hard every day like I hope you loser(s) are.
We truly enjoyed the food and service. We will come back for sure. Keep up the good work Em Chamas. D&L from Omaha, Ne
Being a native of St. Joseph until three years ago..., I would gladly like to see another Fine Dining Restaurant make it's MArk!As an great example Chloe and Bernards was wonderful atmosphere delicious Menu!!!
It also was downtown!
Good Luck to you EmChamas and your investors and employees:) Downtown was always my favorite part of St. Joe:)Always will be:)Instead of tearing down History..., bring it back to life!
It's a good big town with a small-town atmosphere. Low crime rate. Low cost of living. Close to KCI. Great live music scene. Great place to live. And with Em Chamas buttressing well-established restaurants like Boudreaux's Louisiana Seafood & Steaks, Hoof and Horn, Pappy's, Norty's and several other great places, it's getting even better.
And with the Chiefs Training Camp here now, St. Joseph is getting a big look from people who normally would not have gotten up this way. I'm betting they will be back.
You gotta love haters like Fastmetal and the other guy. Closed minds like that can just stay down in Johnson County.
It's sad to see so many people with such an ill opinion of St. Joseph. A little time and a little investment usually pays off in areas like these. Downtown St. Joseph will thrive again, but only if people believe in it. Thanks to the guys at EmChamas, we're one step closer.
As a resident of St. Joe, I'm excited to welcome an upscale restaurant to Downtown! Are reservations recommended?
Thanks Em Chamas for investing in downtown St. Joe. So many people want to restore downtown St. Joe and you are helping with making it happen. Hope the people in St. Joe will invest in you as well. I know for fact it is a great place to eat!
Congratulations Em Chamas! St. Joe is lucky to have you! The city is DARLING... I needs some beautiful & delicious restaurants!!!
This town, like every other town has 'pockets' of trash. St. Joe is in the midst of a revival and Downtown is again beginning to take shape into something that the 'not white trash' citizens have been crying out for. Em Chamas is a sign of the times here in Joe Town and I can't wait to see what the future brings.
This city is wealthy in terms of monetary value and the quality of its people. By the way we (Em Chamas) are killing it! Whoever posted the negative comments about St.Joe must have been of the same nature as their comments.
As one of the "poor white trash" people who chooses to live in a "shithole" called St. Joseph (see quotes above), I'd suggest giving this town and that restaurant a chance. Actually, this community has surprised a lot of retailers in the past few years in terms of what will work here and what won't.
Sorry about that, Tommy. The address for the new Em Chamas in St. Joseph is: 119 S. Sixth Street.
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