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In response to
"Paywall. Is that a bar? -- nm"
by
jnine
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oldest and best steak house in indy across the street from Lucas Oil
Posted by
Remlik (aka Remlik)
Apr 4 '21, 16:59
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What a difference a day makes.
On Saturday, the glimmer of a CBS This Morning national feature on St. Elmo Steak House celebrated the downtown restaurant's emergence from the pandemic — thanks, in no small part, to the arrival of several out-of-town guests for the NCAA Tournament.
Seeing the iconic Indianapolis restaurant featured in a national newscast because of a sports event? It was almost as if the city had, after a year of shutdowns and illnesses, returned to normal.
"The restaurant is coming back and especially due to this tournament, you're going to see," said Craig Huse, president of Huse Culinary, on the CBS feature. "It's not at the end of the tunnel. We're out of the tunnel."
St. Elmo Steak House in downtown Indianapolis, Friday, June 25, 2020.
By Saturday night, though, came a stunning announcement: St. Elmo is temporarily closed after nine employees tested positive for COVID-19.
And that followed the news that a 23-year-old University of Alabama student died just days after attending the tournament in Indianapolis.
The announcements threatened to cast a gloomy shadow over Indianapolis as the city hosts the championship game between Gonzaga and Baylor on Monday night.
At St. Elmo, it is unclear when the employees were tested and when restaurant officials were notified of the results.
"Out of an abundance of caution, St. Elmo’s has made the decision to close the establishment and conduct a thorough, deep cleaning of the restaurant," Huse said in a statement late Saturday. "While we regret not being able to serve our visitors, the safety and well-being of our employees and our guests is our top priority."
Craig Huse, co-owner of Huse Culinary
The Marion County Public Health Department is working with the restaurant staff to conduct contract tracing and determine whether other employees or customers may have been exposed to the virus, according to a department statement to IndyStar on Sunday.
The health department also is investigating whether anyone in Indianapolis was exposed to the virus by Alabama residents who were in town for the tournament.
Luke Ratliff, the University of Alabama student, died after a brief illness days after visiting Indianapolis for March Madness, his father has confirmed. Multiple sources told The Tuscaloosa News newspaper that the Alabama basketball super-fan died of complications related to COVID-19.
It is unclear whether Ratliff had contracted the virus before, during or after his visit to Indianapolis, or where he contracted the virus. It's also unknown whether he was symptomatic while in Indianapolis.
Marion County health officials said they had reached out to the Alabama Department of Public Health, though they did not specify whether they were speaking of Ratliff's case.
Cameron Luke Ratliff leads the cheers in the student seating area as the Crimson Tide hosted Vandy Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, in Coleman Coliseum. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]State and city officials have previously acknowledged the challenges of hosting the entire tournament in Indianapolis during a pandemic. So far, though, the disruptions have mostly been contained. Several referees were sent home early in the tournament, and VCU withdrew because of multiple positive tests on the team.
Saturday's closure of the Indy restaurant is not the first time coronavirus has directly affected the St. Elmo's family. In March 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic, St. Elmo Steak House co-owner Steve Huse tested positive for COVID-19.
Family told IndyStar that Steve Huse was diagnosed after days of symptoms ranging from a nagging cough, a fever and violent chills and shakes.
He would go on to spend 102 days in Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He spent 32 of those days on a ventilator.
More:VCU sent home because of COVID-19 protocols
More:Why did 6 March Madness referees leave Indianapolis COVID bubble?
Upon his release from the hospital in early July, doctors estimated that his recovery could take two to six months.
St. Elmo is high on the list of destination restaurants in Indianapolis. It was featured on an episode of the sitcom "Parks and Recreation" and its spicy shrimp cocktail is such that it has spawned an eating competition that has been won by no less than competitive eating star Joey Chestnut of "Nathan's" hot dog fame.
It's also located in the heart of downtown — just a couple of blocks from where much of the tournament is being played at Banker's Life Fieldhouse.
The news is coming just as the tournament is coming to a close and Indiana is set to transition to a new stage in the process, fueled in part by an increase in vaccinations.
Health officials reported Sunday that more than 1.2 million Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated. Just 952 new cases were reported by the state, with no new deaths.
For much of Indiana, the state's mask mandate is set to expire Tuesday. Gov. Eric Holcomb, however, has urged Hoosiers to continue wearing masks and "proceed with caution."
In Marion County, though, Mayor Joe Hogsett cited the NCAA Tournament as one reason why he would retain a mask mandate.
"We're glad to have March Madness here; It's certainly given the people of Indianapolis, I think, a sense of hope and restoration," Hogsett said during an infrastructure announcement last week.
"But we'll have to look at the data probably in the middle of April," Hogsett continued, "once the tournament has come and gone."
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