A West Des Moines favorite has closed its doors. Chisme (formerly El Chisme) opened its doors for the last time on Saturday, February 23. The Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant opened originally in 2008 at the corner of Merle Hay Road and Urbandale Avenue. In 2010, Owner/Chef Jesus Ojeda moved the restaurant to its current location, 255 Fifth Street in West Des Moines' Valley Junction.
Chisme was highly-regarded and very well-received. Ojeda's creations were delicious and creative, and they were a breath of fresh air in the Metro. Chisme will be sorely missed by its many fans. Ojeda had this to say his patrons in a recent Facebook post:
We want to thank everyone for so many years of support. As we close this chapter, we open a new one, everything happens for a reason. As a chef, I love to cook and create dishes as much as this hurts to close the restaurant. I truly believe GOD has something for me in the future. Again thank you…
Ojeda is a former Marine and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School. Ojeda was led to culinary interests by his wife Juana when they met after Ojeda was honorably discharged from the Marines following an injury overseas. After culinary school, Ojeda worked in several restaurants before losing interest and moving to Iowa. A chance encounter with the owner of a closed pizza parlor reignited Ojeda's passion for the restaurant industry, and El Chisme resulted shortly thereafter.
[Source: Chisme's website and Facebook page]
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