By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: This is the 24th column in the Dives and Diners 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.

ETNA GREEN — What sets the Etna Green Café apart?

The Etna Green Café at 112 W. State St. in Etna Green, has something I haven’t run across in all our diners and dives explorations. Something which sets it apart in a huge and exuberant way. The Etna Green Café, one of the lively hubs of a thriving rural community, is run by a 19-year-old chef named Zeb.

This is our trip to meet Zeb and hear his story about growing up and figuring out his life’s passion for becoming a chef.

We arrived in Etna Green on a Friday around noon. Lots of pickup trucks filled the café’s parking lot along with one bug beetle and one sheriff’s SUV. Some regulars were already around their table expecting our arrival.

Frog

In 2016 Kosciusko County Administrator (and former sheriff) Ron Robinson retired and told a reporter that he was “ready to relax and sleep in,” but this last week Ron met us at the Etna Green Café to introduce us around and show off his town. “Most people don’t know me by Ron though,” he told us. “They know me by Frog.”

Warsaw Breakfast Optimist member and Sheriff Jim Smith nodded across the table. “You know, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard the story of how you got that name, Frog?”

Frog greeted a few regulars coming in and settled back in his chair. “I lived in Syracuse when I was a boy. Used to work at a gas station there washing cars and filling gas, you know. One day I had a head cold, and a regular named Frauhiger came in. He told everyone that I sounded just like a little frog. Name just stuck, I suppose.”

The Food And The Crayons

The waitress Shelby Hodges pointed out the specials, and I asked what I should order. She bit her lip. “Well, it’s Friday. Everyone orders the all-you-can-eat fish on Fridays.”

As we waited for our orders to arrive, Sheriff Smith asked to study a menu and REMAX Jeff Owens instead handed him a new coloring book and a box of crayons. Sheriff Smith flipped open the book to the picture of a ghost and picked up a blue crayon. “Can I take a picture?” I asked.

“Sure!” Sheriff Smith grinned. “I’m really not doing anything.”

1st Source Banker Paul Finley chuckled from the other end of the table. “That’s EXACTLY why we elected you, Sheriff. So, you could do nothing.”

Smith enjoyed the wry ribbing as he took his breaded cheeseburger with mayo and pickles from Shelby.

Tommy Stills called, “You did order the extra cheese on that, right? That’s very popular around here.” Tommy is “dad” to Zeb. We’ll get to him.

“I DO like being popular,” Sheriff Smith grinned.

Dad And Mom

Everyone gave their attention to eating. I had an enormous plate of fried fish. REMAX Realtor Jeff Owens ordered the other special, the country-style ribs. They were tender and lovely and boneless. “First we boil them, then add BBQ sauce, and then we smoke them,” co-owner of the café Tommy Stills informed us.

“We also make our own tartar sauce from my dad’s old recipe.” Tommy had moved over to our table to talk about the four generations of his family who had helped to run the Etna Green Café.

“I grew up in a family that ran restaurants,” he said as he munched his own lunch. “My parents used to own the Cozy Cottage. Sometimes I would fall asleep in the booths and wake up next to cans of corn or whatever. It’s hard running a restaurant, but from when he was tiny, my son Zeb always loved cooking. He wanted to take over this café, and now that he’s graduated from High School, he’s doing most of everything himself in the kitchen.”

Later, Tommy emailed me some awesome pictures of an enthusiastic Zeb cooking as a child. Now that Zeb is taking over, Tommy devotes himself to his video producing business.

Chef Zeb

When the crowd thinned out, Chef Zeb himself came out from the kitchen to chat with the table. Frog greeted him with, “Dad said you could take a break, eh?”

Zeb smiled warmly and replied, “I said DAD could take a break!” He shook hands with Sheriff Smith and pointed out a picture on the wall of his grandmother cooking. Zeb has a ready smile and a quick wit. He just graduated from high school last year and is now mostly running the café himself.

“I remember you guys,” Zeb told us Diners and Dives Optimist regulars. “I was at one of your meetings last year when I was one of the Students of the Week.” That’s right — last year he was a senior in high school and this year he’s running a café.

I asked Zeb what his favorite part of running a restaurant was, and he took the pose of the thinker for a picture. “I love interacting with my customers! I prioritize relationships here.”

Of course, I next asked him his least favorite part. “Oh, hmm. I love everything. Well, maybe I don’t love all the cleaning. And, well, I don’t love when Dad checks on whether I did everything just right. Like if I remembered to shut off the grill. I do one thing wrong, and I hear it for weeks.” Zeb smiled good-naturedly at his dad.

“It’s just like preparation for marriage,” wildcard Austin Donovan laughed down the table. Austin rode his Harley motorcycle over from his job in Warsaw to join us at the Etna Green Café. He’s a Breakfast Optimist member too.

“Are you married, Austin?” I asked.

“Ah, no,” Austin grinned good-naturedly.

The History

The Etna Green Café is very large inside; it sprawls down the block. Regular patron John Klinefelter told me how that came to be.

“This side used to be a tiny kitchen,” he gestured towards the east side. “Before they added a VHS store on the other side for a while.” He scooted a notebook over to show me in order every family that had ever owned the Etna Green Café since it began. “It’s been four generations of the same family now,” he said, “Now it’s Zeb.”

His wife Susan, an Etna Green Council member, nodded. “John loves history.”

The Pie

I had heard that Etna Green Café specializes in pie, so I ordered the last piece of Butterscotch from the display on the counter.

Frog nodded and said that he had eaten a piece of Strawberry pie for breakfast just that morning. “You have to be here by like 7 a.m. to get the strawberry pie though. Mmmm.”

Ashley Stills smiled. “We are so lucky to have our pie lady Lexi. She’s been with us for 10 years now.”

Frog chimed in. “Lexi has a new baby. Puts the baby in the carrier in front of her and just makes those pies. You should see her.”

Just then a red-haired young woman opened the back door carrying pies in both hands and a baby slung in a carrier over her stomach. “Emergency pies!” she called. I ordered a second piece of pie since there were new flavor choices. This time Amish Sugar.

Frog gave me a look. “A second piece of pie?! You are going to write that you ate two, aren’t you?” Of course. It was worth it.

What Is Zeb Most Proud Of?

Once Zeb finished cooking new orders again, I asked him, “What are you most proud of so far?”

“Running the restaurant is the only thing I want to do now. I’m so passionate about doing it right.” Zeb said. Then he joked, “But I AM most proud of the two times that I remembered to shut off the grill without Dad reminding me.”

Check out the Etna Green Café. They do dine-in, take-out, or delivery. Be sure to try Lexi’s pies, say hi to the regulars, and get a handshake from Chef Zeb.