City Grill and the Blue Room
Lake of the Ozarks Restaurant, night
club, sports bar Osage Beach Mo
Lake of the Ozarks Restaurant, night
club, sports bar Osage Beach Mo
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| “Papa Joe and Annelie Homm have been in the restaurant business since the fifties. Their passion for serving food made from old world authentic recipes has not changed. “Herzlich Willkommen Und Guten Appetit!!! CITY GRILL AND THE BLUE ROOM IS: ANNELIE & JOSEPH HOMM, KENNY & THERESA HOMM, JOEY HOMM “Should have bought Real Estate?” That’s the running joke the family has with "Papa Joe" and Annelie is they should have bought loads of lake and highway frontage back in the sixties and seventies instead of all of the Restaurant endeavors. To which Papa Joe always replies, "You kid's never had to worry about eating, now did you! This has been our path. We developed into a strong, tight nit, hard working family. I wouldn't change it for the world." |
| History |
"Papa" Joe Homm never knew how to cook. "I didn't even know how to boil water. I moved here
from Romania without knowing the language. I was introduced to the Restaurant business
through my wife's aunt who opened "Jo-Jo" in the summer of 1952. I studied her and taught
myself through cookbooks and good old fashioned hard work." I still use my first cookbook, The
edition for $74.00... (laughing painfully) My Oh My! It's just a cook book!"
Annelie and Papa Joe eventually bought Jo-Jo from the family and embarked on a remarkable
run in the Restaurant business. Beginning with Jo-Jo in the late fifties, other timeline origins
include: The Eldorado, Papa Joe's, Papa Joe's Bavarian Garden, Papa Joe's Oak Tree Inn and
now The City Grill.
"Really, to make it in this business,” Annelie says, "Is that you have to have a deep passion for
what you do. And you have to understand that there is a tremendous sacrafice that comes along
with it. I used to get more joy out of cooking for and visiting with guests on a slower night than on
a crazy busy night where there were alot more chances of things going wrong. But at the end of
the day and where we are at today, It has all been worth it."
Today, The City Grill and Blue Room operates with Kenny, Theresa and Joey behind the wheel.
"Dad and Kenny came to me with the idea of the City Grill about six years ago,” Joey says, “And I
remember thinking… Another dang Restaurant? Are you nuts? But then you just kind of figure
out that maybe being in this business, which we have been all of our lives, is just kind of who
you are. This is what we do."
With nearly 50 years experience between Joe and Annelie; Kenny's experiences owning or being
a part of Eddies, Risky's and Backwater Jacks; and Joey learning from who he says are "The
greatest teachers I have ever had, my parents.” The City Grill will strive to continue bringing the
Lake of the Ozarks food that tastes good and is an honest reflection of it's ingredients and the
passion from which it is made. Quality entertainment, a clean unfussy environment, warm smiles
and friendly conversation.
"Some of my greatest memories, and I have many, are from the friendships we have developed
with loyal customers and former employee's," Annelie said.
Will we still see Papa Joe and Annelie? “Oh Yes, Mom and Dad are still a very vital part of the
success of our business,” Joey says, “We definately want them to take time off and enjoy life, but
I still lean on them for our Authentic German Night and Sunday Church Specials. We have a
wonderful, faithful base of customers that have dined and entertained with us through the years.
That all stem's from Annelie and Papa Joe.”
“We would also like to thank our current employees' at the City Grill for all of their efforts. Some
of which have been with us since day one, some have carried over from Papa Joe's and Risky's.
Thank you, Thank you!” Annelie continues, “They are a part of this as much as we are. That's
secret ingreident number one! Faithful employee's."
The immediate Homm family is currently at 20: Joann, Gordy, Kristen, Daniel, Keilan, Kenny,
Theresa, Ryan, Jeremy, Caitlyn, Marianne, Toni, Dana, Andy, Leigha, Colyer, Tatum and Joey.
Is it really just a cookbook? Maybe that $1.99 investment was worth it after all .....
