It started with a love story.

After World War II, Al Thome was stationed in Offenbach, Germany, a short distance south of Frankfurt. There he met a young lady named Emmy Werner, and he married her.

They lived in Offenbach a few years, and Emmy and her mother taught Al how to cook.

He learned traditional German dishes and the methods in which they came together.

After a few years, the Thomes decided to come to America. First they relocated to Illinois, where Al was from.

Then they moved to Fort Smith. There it soon became apparent that a new restaurant might not be a bad idea.

Fort Smith didn’t have much as far as international cuisine goes. The diner culture of U.S.

64 was thriving at the time, and bakeries were doing well. But anything past plate dinners, cafeterias, fish, burgers and doughnuts was kind of foreign to those who dined out. This was a decade before the birth of Taliano’s, The Lighthouse or any of the other fine dining experiences available in the western Arkansas town.

So in 1962 Al and Emmy opened a little Bavarian-style restaurant on 11th Street, serving what they called wunderbarsten - or, for English-speakers, The Best - of German food. They moved the restaurant a short while later to 16th Street, where it became Zum Deutschen Eck (The German Corner).

The eatery became the place where many Arkansawyers encountered their first sauerbraten, schnitzel, spatzel and streudel.

At some point, the name on the Victorian house at 602 N.

16th St. changed to Emmy’s German Restaurant, and for 40 years it was one of the topplaces for dates, proms and wedding receptions. Al and Emmy loved their restaurant, and they loved Fort Smith.

But they never had any children. When they passed away, Emmy’s closed. Briefly.

Then the son of the owner of Taliano’s - that other great place serving fine food to promgoers and wedding parties over the years just a few blocks away - came into the picture.

Joe Caldarera decided to keep the love going. Today Emmy’s is again serving up Aland Emmy’s delicious dishes - her famed Cordon Bleu (chicken $16.95, pork $18.95, veal $22.95), his fried cheese ($5.95) and many odd (to American ears) sounding German dishes.

Caldarera has added his own, and today you can enjoy such items as German eggrolls ($5.95), Red Snapper Fromage ($18.95) and Vegetarian Pasta ($8.95).

As one of just three German restaurants in the state and the granddaddy of all of them, it’s a must-dine attraction.

Whats Up, Pages 14 on 11/01/2013