Best Of: Comfort Food

EATS | Order Up! Comfort FoodBest of

story + photos by Loren Shaum

The LAKElife area has an abundance

of restaurants and bars that meet the needs of those seeking ‘comfort food.’ In Syracuse alone, there are no less than 21 restaurants between downtown and the Middle School— and that doesn’t include chains. And of these, most offer some sort of comfort items on their menus.

In North Webster, there are nine more. Further south, the recently opened Lakelife Bar & Grill on the Barbee Channel has a menu full of comfort items. And if you prefer great pizza, Danny’s Sport Bar is just down the road. Warsaw has more than 20 places that provide some semblance of comfort items.

Pierceton had a unique spot at the Old Train Depot (which closed), but there will be a new restaurant opening soon. The Tap Room Brewhouse will be a pleasant addition to the Pierceton scene. And, of course, in Pierceton there’s always The Post! hashbrown potatoes with poached eggs, Twentieth-Century Restaurant

Breakfast

A popular spot in Syracuse is the Coffee Depot. They just moved from the garage by the car wash to the former juice location adjacent to Kiyomi’s. Their brussels sprout skillet with poached eggs and diced potatoes is killer (yes, delicious).

Syracuse Café is Old School grub, and the servings are large and plentiful. Their American fries with onions are comparable to those from the Twentieth-Century Restaurant at the corner of U.S. 6 and S.R. 15.

Mug Shots Coffeehouse and Eatery is also a popular location, and it’s one of the few locations open on Sunday. They specialize in omelettes and pancakes, but their “Syracuse Sammy” is an excellent breakfast

brussel sprout skillet, Coffee Depot chicken salad croissant, The River Coffee House Florentine stack, Creighton's Crazy Eggs

tomato-basil soup with naan grilled cheese, Rua bluegill basket, Huntington Street Bar & Grill grilled chicken chef salad, Kelainey's Sweet Dreams

sandwich. They also have a liquor license, so spike your coffee, if so inclined.

In North Webster, Sheila’s Sweet Treats & Diner serves excellent ice cream but is also a popular breakfast spot for locals.

In Warsaw, three places stand-out. The Cozy Corner Restaurant, east of downtown, opens at 5 a.m. and is a popular neighborhood joint. West of town is the American Table Restaurant, and heading further west on old U.S. 30 is Creighton’s Crazy Eggs Café & Coffee Bar. They serve interesting variations of classic breakfast dishes. With items like Scotch eggs, which you can get regular or deviled, crazy egg waffich (a waffle sandwich), crazy egg hash, Belgium waffles and crustless quiche, you have a lot of choices. Regardless, my go-to is the Florentine spinach with poached eggs; in my opinion, there’s nothing better!

Farther away, you can’t beat Teel’s Family Restaurant in Mentone. The old-time diner seating and bar stools take you back to another time. In Etna Green, there’s the Etna Green Café that gets raves about their home cookin’.

Lunch

All places mentioned above also serve lunch, but if you want something special, try the Oak & Alley in Warsaw. Their special mix burgers and onion rings are stellar (and the craft beer choices are excellent, too!).

In downtown Warsaw, there are a couple worthy joints where you can partake in multiple comfort food choices. Rex’s Rendezvous has been serving since 1933. Across from the County building is the Downtown Eatery & Spirits. Both will satisfy any craving!

In the Village at Winona, Kelainey’s Sweet Dreams and the Light Rail Café & Roaster both offer great sandwiches. Light Rail also provides roasted coffee beans for several local restaurants. In Syracuse, the comfort food front-runner seems to be Pat’s Chicago Dogs. Now under new ownership, their Polish sausage with kraut is ‘out-of-bounds!’

If you’re hankering for bluegill, the Huntington Street Bar & Grill basket is top-shelf. Louie’s Bar & Grill is good, too, and you can order both bluegill and frog legs by the piece. Louie’s is also adding a roof over their expanded patio.

Peterson’s Fish and Chubbie’s Pub & Grub, both in the Syracuse Village, continue to be popular stops.

If passing through Leesburg, Stacy’s Restaurant and Family Dining offers a good selection of comfort items, and their soups are excellent.

With all these choices, LAKElife folks are never far from comfort food.

whitefish basket, Chubbie's Pub & Grub smoking goose ham + Swiss sandwich, Light Rail Cafe LAKElife Magazine August 2022 61