When it comes to my regular restaurant rotation for nights out in Warsaw with the wife and/or friends, Oak and Alley, Rua and One Ten typically occupy the limited spots in that lineup. In an effort to get out of that comfort zone, I recently visited two restaurants not in that lineup – Mad Anthony’s Lake City Tap House in downtown and Redwood Firewood Grill, located on North Detroit St. on Center Lake.
If you’re looking for a reason to visit Redwood Firewood Grill, I’ll give it to you – the waterfront deck. You won’t find a better lakefront location for dining in the Warsaw/Winona Lake area. Its expansive deck offers plenty of room to roam and with its west-facing location, stunning sunsets are offered up at no fee, turning the placid waters of Center Lake into a romantic canvas that changes daily. There’s a dock for your boat-of-choice if you’d rather arrive by water. Either way, you’ll soon find yourself gazing out over the water at the Warsaw skyline (by skyline, I mean the courthouse) and thanking me for reminding you that places like this do exist in Warsaw.
The lakefront deck at Redwood Firewood Grill in Warsaw
While most people head to Mad Ant’s for beer and unwraps, my history of trying to acquire the taste necessary for downing beer in copious amounts was stunted by your typical fare found in cases lining the grimy floor of your local liquor store. Had I been introduced to beer as it’s portrayed by the innumerable microbreweries popping up all over, my opinion regarding it might be different. It’s not and my love affair with cocktails isn’t going away anytime soon. Plus, I’m not really into the whole unwrap thing (just give me a pizza) and while the version I had was certainly tasty, it’s not the reason I’ll be headed back to Mad Ant’s. That would be the cocktails.
It might be a brewery but the craft cocktail menu at Mad Anthony’s Lake City Tap House is impressive
For a brewery, the cocktail menu is impressive. Typically carrying about 10 craft cocktails and a handful of beer cocktails all priced at $9 or less, the menu offers up plenty of originals and riffs on classics to dissuade you from ordering yet another two ingredient cocktail because you think that’s all they can pull off at a brewery. Don’t forget the $5 Mad Marys available every Sunday. They say they’re the best Bloody Mary in town. Who am I to argue?
Tags: foodie, indiana, kosciusko, lake city tap house, mad anthony's, redwood firewood grill, restaurant, warsaw