Wally Kennedy: Closing of M&M Bistro creates opportunity for WiseGuys Italian

Sep. 20—When Orlando Bevilacqua opened the New York Pizza & Deli in downtown Joplin a year ago, he dreamed about one day moving his other restaurant, WiseGuys Italian American Comfort Foods, to a new home downtown.

The recent closing of the M&M Bistro, 612 S. Main St., has opened the door of opportunity for Bevilacqua to turn his dream into a reality.

Workers on Wednesday were clearing out the M&M property. Once that is done, Bevilacqua will begin transforming the restaurant into an eatery with a more upscale feel to it.

"That's because the building itself is that way — more upscale," he said. "The outside of the building is already a lot nicer than before, and we want to do the same thing inside."

The goal is to relocate WiseGuys from a small storefront in the Village Shopping Center, 3702 E. 32nd St., to its new home on Main Street by Nov. 1. The move will be made easier because the new property was, until recently, a functioning restaurant. Bevilacqua has purchased existing equipment in the kitchen to ease the transition.

Much of the WiseGuys menu will be offered, but there will be some changes. Bevilacqua, who hails from Abruzzo, Italy, where his mother still lives, said he is hiring a chef for this new version of WiseGuys, though he noted that his traditional techniques in the kitchen will be followed. But he is open to new ideas. Great things can come from collaborations.

WiseGuys is now in its ninth year with an established clientele of regulars. The $10.99 lunch buffet and the deli-style sandwiches offered at New York Pizza & Deli, 524 S. Joplin Ave., have attracted a strong following over the past year. I visited the place for lunch this week and was not disappointed. The pizza has a real Italian flair to it. You might ask: "And how would you know that?" Well, I was among the gazillion tourists who visited Italy earlier this year. There were four of us first-timers. We visited the birthplace of pizza in Naples. We ate a lot of pizza because it was so good and so inexpensive. I am by no means an expert on pizza, but the pizza served at the New York Pizza & Deli is probably the closest thing to the real thing in Joplin.

Getting to talk with Bevilacqua about Italy during my lunch was the best part of the meal. What is clear — there is not one Italy. Each region, with its geographic and cultural influences, offers something special. When you put all of these specialities together, you get a clearer picture of the real Italy. That's why it's such a special place.

Did I mention the new WiseGuys will be offering a creamy limoncello dessert on its menu? More details to come.

It's a loss

Though a new restaurant is opening in its place, the closing of the M&M Bistro is a loss for the downtown.

The M&M, a Mediterranean-style restaurant, started in a storefront at 407 S. Main St. It relocated to 612 S. Main St. in June 2017. It was operated by Jef Alvandi, wife Minoo and son Siya. They provided superior hospitality.

The historic building in which the restaurant operated was recently sold.

New digs

Comeau Jewelry has been doing business in Joplin for 18 years.

Its first location in Joplin was in Northpark Crossing, near Chico's Clothing. It was there for eight years before moving to the Bel-Aire Shopping Center 10 years ago.

It is now moving again to a stand-alone property the company has purchased in the 3400 block of North Range Line Road. This is the former North Office of Schuber-Mitchell. The deal was handled by Kent Eastman, with Keller Williams Elevated of Joplin.

Chris Keller, manager of the Joplin store, said the 2,500-square-foot property will be converted from offices to a retail venue. The conversion will begin Oct. 1 and should be completed early next year. Comeau Jewelry will make the move after the holiday shopping season.

Comeau Jewelry opened its first store in October 2001 in downtown Pittsburg, Kansas. It relocated to Pittsburg's Meadowbrook Commons in January 2004. Comeau Jewelry built a store in Pittsburg three years ago.

"That was a game-changer for us because of the visibility it provided," Keller said. "That's when we started looking for the right place here."