With the opening of their own restaurant still on hold, James Beard Award semifinalist chef Jonathan Justus and his wife and business partner, Camille Eklof, have returned to downtown Smithville, Missouri, home to the original Justus Drugstore restaurant that closed in 2018, to consult on a new concept, Gizmos Tavern, an upscale gastropub. Owner Dustin Racen, who lives at the Lake of the Ozarks and also owns and operates Lake House 13 and The Cuddy Cabin there, engaged the hometown couple to help him get his newest restaurant concept off the ground. The scratch menu that Justus has created feels uniquely his—local, comforting and quirky—with pork coming from Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Missouri, and beef from Hertzog Meat Co., in Butler, Missouri. There are also seafood cioppino, chicken fricassee, and bacon-wrapped chicken livers on the menu. Eklof is bringing her own talents and experience to the restaurant serving as general manager.