Text and Photos
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: This is the 38th 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.

WARSAW — I love The Downtown Eatery at 205 W. Center St., in Warsaw just south of the Justice Building. It’s true; I’m biased. But I’m not the only eater to be biased. On the chilly Friday we ate lunch there, the place was packed. Downtown open hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

Why do we love The Downtown? Many reasons occur, but at the top are the joyful and efficient Friday Waiters Joann Huffer, Shannon Doyle, and Aubrey Gates. Plus, the owner Tom Clemens. After Joann approved the picture I took of her behind the bar, she shook her finger. “Be sure to get one of Tom too. He’s the hardest-working man in Kosciusko County!”

The Downtown Food

One rule of a Diners and Dives lunch is that everyone orders something different. Regulars jockey to get their favorites before someone else, but guests order first. Our wildcard guest Bob Vitoux (pronounced vee-two if you speak French) of Orthoworx ordered the ever-popular Downtown Pizza. Funeral Planner Brittany Lyon ordered her usual Downtown Cobb Salad. “I always get this salad,” she smiled. “It’s amazing.” Banker Paul happily ordered a tenderloin leaving REMAX Jeff a daily special — The West Center Deli Club filled with all the meats.

It’s no secret to my friends that I love the Downtown French fries. Today though, Shannon suggested something new: a house-made Jamaican ketchup with a kick. It’s a winner. I also tried the second special — a fried shrimp po-boy sandwich, mostly because I knew if I ordered a bowl of their excellent soup, I would spill, and someone would take a picture.

As we introduced ourselves, Vitoux and REMAX Realtor Jeff Owens relived their former glory playing basketball back in the day by re-enacting Owen’s elbow in Vitoux’s face. “I’m just big is all,” Owens frowned. “Just big.”

“Can’t teach big,” Finley chuckled. But you can teach fashion.

Well Plaid, Vitoux. Well Plaid

Vitoux started his career as an accountant before working his way up through finance, and management, to his current position of chief executive officer at the orthopedic nonprofit initiative Orthoworx. Along the way, he spent two years living in Scotland.

“I’m not Scottish,” Bob said. “But I wanted a kilt.” If you’re not a fashion kilt expert, you might not know that Scottish clans all have a specific pattern associated with each. “I took my wife along to pick out my kilt,” Vitoux said. “She picked out the MacDonald plaid.”

Vitoux wanted to wear the kilt to a black-tie event. “It takes like an hour and a half to dress in a kilt.” He illustrated with his hands.

“You have to get the shirt on just right. And fold the socks just right. And slide the knife down your side just right.” Vitoux likes to get things just right.

What Is Orthoworx?

Banker Paul asked Vitoux to summarize Orthoworx. Vitoux is passionate about Warsaw being the Orthopedic Capital of the World. He credits the Lilly Foundation, Dane Miller, and multiple community leaders for never giving up on that vision.

“We have three pillars,” Vitoux said. “We equip the next generation with a talent pipeline. We enrich the local community. We accelerate industry with innovation.”

Orthoworx is a nonprofit tasked with helping find ways to invest. One specific task is to deploy the $30 million dollars our state legislature allocated to advance an orthopedic industry retention initiative. That’s a lot of words to mean that $30 million dollars will be spent in our community to benefit all of us.

“We want to plant seeds with the 30 million,” Vitoux said. “Our Representative Craig Snow likes to say that we aim to get matching funds so the 30 million seeds turn into 300 million seeds.” For more on what Orthoworx does in our community, see their website here.

“I once heard you use the word CATALYZE to describe what Orthoworx does. It stuck with me,” I told him.

Vitoux shook his head. “Yes! We convene, collaborate, and catalyze. We are bridge-builders.” He paused, obviously thinking about the many kinds of people in our community, not just those who work in orthopedics. “My dad worked in a factory. Made aluminum foil. Everyone loved him. He’s been gone 30 years, and he’s still my idol. I learned so much from him.”

Clearly, Vitoux hasn’t forgotten about folks who get paid by the hour. Folks who work the third shift. Folks who make the place tick. Folks who eat at diners and dives and who read this article. Folk like YOU.

Popular Recognition

Owner Tom Clemens stopped by our table multiple times to check on us. Shannon, Aubrey, and Joann all refilled our drinks, affectionately poked fun at REMAX Jeff for us, and even took our group photo. “All part of the job training,” Joann smiled. “No problem.”

Vitoux asked what surprised us the most about the Diners and Dives articles’ success. “The recognition!” Funeral Planner Lyons exclaimed. “I get stopped at least twice a week and recognized by someone who has read the stories. It’s amazing.”

Banker Paul nodded. “Same!”

Vitoux thanked us for the invitation. As he left, he described his own “restless curiosity to understand everything. We Diners and Dives members understood what he was saying because we can never stop asking questions either.

If you’re restlessly curious too, give The Downtown a try. You’ll love the food and the great conversation just as much as we do.

And just maybe, you’ll see a Scotsman standing at the bar and rocking a kilt.

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].