Text and Photos
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: This is the 35th column in the Diners and Dives series in which a small group of Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club members and their guests road trip to explore the restaurants of Kosciusko and the surrounding area.

SYRACUSE — I’ve heard from a lot of Syracuse residents that we Diners and Dives Optimists don’t get out of Warsaw proper enough, so on Black Friday we came your way for a treat.

Syracuse Café is located at 607 N. Huntington St., in Syracuse. If you’re arriving in town from the south on SR 13, the café is on your left side after the Sunoco Gas Station.

Cash Is King

One of our wildcards arrived early and texted me, “FYI It’s cash only!” The four of us in the car did a quick inventory to make sure we had cash.

“We don’t take credit cards,” our waitress Kerri told us first thing.

“Well, you take credit cards but don’t give them back, right?” REMAX Jeff grinned.
Waitress Kerri didn’t bat an eye. “Oh, so you’ve heard about me?” She grinned back. Kerri told us about the Friday fish special which came with coleslaw, fries, and dessert for $6.25.

Cozy And Homemade

Walking into the Syracuse Café feels like returning home to grandma’s house.

Historical pictures line the walls, the Christmas tree stands in the middle of the front counter, the waitress Kerri scolds you affectionately for not ordering enough food or not getting a free dessert  — pumpkin bars with the lunch special. “I made them!” she told us with a pot of coffee in one hand.

“We try to make a lot of our stuff homemade. They’re GOOD. I can hook you up!” Kerri, “they call me Crazy Café Kerri,” has a quick wit and a fast hand at refilling coffee.

Owner Elise Gans has been at Syracuse Café since 1986 and owner since 2001.

It’s just not locals who come in for breakfast and/or lunch. People travel from all over to enjoy the food and friendliness found at the cafe. There are the weekly regulars and the weekend warriors. It’s a popular spot for high school coaches to visit before or after a game, players to come in for a bite to eat. You may also see members of the Turkey Creek Fire Territory stopping in for a bite to eat.

A long table is set up at the front of the cafe. Here, if you come early enough any day of the week, you’ll find second and third generations of customers who have joined the coffee group. With this group, you’ll get caught up on the latest sports, military stories, town gossip and and yes, plenty of jokes.

Several of the long-time waitresses, along with Elise, remember repeat customers by name and their orders. These people have become a part of the Syracuse Cafe family. If a regular doesn’t show up for a day or so, they get a phone call to make sure they are all right.

Many repeat customers express their amazement at several of the waitresses, including the owner, who can juggle six to eight plates at a time, their friendliness, and fast service.

Waitress Kerri urged us to order the Dare-You-To Omelet which is the most popular item on the menu. The huge four-egg omelet includes everything — sausage, bacon, ham, green pepper, onion, tomatoes, cheese, American fries —– and comes slathered with sausage gravy and toast.

Breakfast is served throughout the day with daily specials, and lunch is available starting at 11 a.m.

The pancakes at the cafe are almost as large as the dinner plate and customers can have chocolate chips, butterscotch or peanut butter added. Two new breakfast items have been added to the menu — eggs Benedict and a breakfast burrito.

Don’t be surprise if you hear one of the waitresses yell “I love you” back to the kitchen. That’s an indication someone has ordered corned beef and hash.

Elise quietly gives back to the community who has supported her over the years. This includes sponsoring movies and/or free popcorn for kids at Pickwick Theater, softball teams, supporting veterans, as well as animal welfare.

The cafe is open 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6-11:30 a.m. Sundays.

Stop in for friendly service and a restaurant full of laughter. Carry-outs are available.

You can find its menu and lunch specials on Facebook.

Take Me From The Top

CASA Executive Director Erin Rowland Jones and her Board Vice President Angie Ritchey joined us for lunch. “You’re lucky I’m not here in pajamas,” Erin told us. “It’s the day after Thanksgiving after all.”

“Look! You guys coordinated your outfits.” Attorney Tony Garza greeted Erin and Angie. Tony often works with CASA in the course of his job in the courts.

Waitress Kerri and assistant Eric delivered giant plates of tenderloins, grilled cheese, French toast, BLTs, omelets, and fish.

“Hold on. Take me from the top,” REMAX Jeff pointed his fork. “What exactly is CASA?”

CASA means Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. The non-profit is a 501c3 which recruits, trains, and supports volunteers to help children in high conflict areas including the court system.

“The courts generously rent us space in the Justice Building,” CASA Erin explained.

“These volunteers are often the only stable parts in the most traumatic part of a child’s life.” Kids impacted are in homes with addictions, mental health issues, medical or educational neglect, or sexual abuse.

“We’ve seen an increase in abuse,” VP Angie added. Angie has been on the CASA Board multiple times over many years and so has seen the progression of the program and the needs of children in Kosciusko. “But the biggest culprit seems to be addictions.”

“We served 142 children in the court system in 2022,” CASA Erin snagged a tater tot from her plate. “We’ve ALREADY served 155 kids by the end of September this year!”

“What’s your biggest need?” I asked while attempting to hold my BLT together and take notes. “Other than funding, of course.”

Angie and Erin looked at each other and said in unison. “CASAs! We need volunteers desperately!”

A CASA is the actual volunteer that shepherds each child through the court. Each trained CASA is asked to volunteer for at least 18 months to get one child through the case. This CASA represents the child and helps make sure they get medical, educational, court-related, mental, and any other assistance. CASA’s goal is to provide services to help children reunite with their parents as quickly and as safely as possible. Kids fall through the cracks a lot.

“It’s super fulfilling to be a CASA,” Erin nodded. “And there’s just a lot more child abuse in our county that you might imagine.”

Attorney Garza added, “Erin and I are often on opposite sides of cases in court. We each advocate for our respective clients and have to disagree, but Erin zealously advocates for kids. She is good at what she does.”

Vicky’s Safe Spaces Idea

Vicky Owens had been carefully following the discussion. “Who does CASA meet with?” she asked. Vicky works for Healthy Families with Cardinal Center and often sees those same kids and parents up close and personal as she helps provide services and support.

“Everyone,” answered CASA Erin. “We meet with everyone who impacts the child.” Court personnel, medical and health professionals, teachers, therapists, coaches, everyone who helps provide services to parents and children.

Vicky’s passion has led her to lead a Kosciusko Leadership Academy team writing a white paper project based upon the idea of finding safe spaces all around Kosciusko County. A safe space is a safe and public space for parents and their children to meet while they are separated and in the reunification process.

Imagine trying to rekindle the relationship with your child after a traumatic event and you must do this under the watchful eye of a professional therapist and in the public eye in a place like a McDonalds play place. This isn’t the ideal way to have a quality parenting moment for anyone.

Safe Space Vicky and her KLA group aim to find a homey spot where parents and kids can play a board game or cook a meal together and perhaps begin to heal and learn together. CASA Erin and VP Angie enthusiastically loved the idea.

CASA Holiday Event

CASA recently threw their annual Holiday Event which always occurs the second Friday of November. “Planning them is a doozie every year,” Erin told us. “We had 52 tables and more than 400 guests.”

For many years, the event has been held in the enormous airplane hangar at the Warsaw Municipal Airport.

The theme this year was Change a Child’s Story. “We also have a new legacy gift option called the Leadership Society which honors the late Judge David Cates who was a huge supporter of CASA,” Erin added.

“And Judge Cates was from Syracuse,” Attorney Garza put in.

If you’re interested in Changing a Child’s Story by becoming a CASA, contact Erin here.

If you’re interested in helping with Vicky’s Safe Space Reunification idea, send an email to the address below.

If you’re interested in becoming a Warsaw Breakfast Optimist, come visit us at the Shrine Building on Wednesday mornings at 6:45 a.m. for a spectacular breakfast and an interesting hour with new friends.

If you’re interested in eating, go get some bacon at the Syracuse Café with Kerri and bring some cash!

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Dives and Diners or in Profiles behind the scenes someday? Send SB Communications LLC an email at [email protected].