Diners and Dives group this week include, from left Jeff and Vicky Owens, Paul Finley, Mike and Alex Shock.
Column Note: For this 102nd column, some
Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club
members gather at the
Sleepy Owl Supper Club
located at 11374 SR 13, Syracuse.
SYRACUSE — A gentleman approached our table in the corner. “Hello.” He reached out his hand. “I recognize you from Diners and Dives. I really enjoy your column.” I handed him some Diners and Dives T-shirts. “I come here nearly every Friday,” Mike Shock told us. “I’m a regular.”
Just then, my phone dinged — a text from Chip Erwin, the Sleepy Owl’s longtime wildcard bartender and our expected wildcard. A back injury had sidelined him, so he wouldn’t make it to lunch (shout out to Chip to feel better). I asked father and son, Mike and Alex Shock, to join us. They brought their soups and salads over, and soon their stories intrigued us.
Shari at the entrance to The Sleepy Owl.
First, though: sustenance. Bartender and waitress Tonya Cross, solo piloting the dining room, handed us menus. “I prefer doing it alone, actually.” She grinned. “If something’s wrong, I know I did it and can fix it.” She floated the possibility of dinner-menu appetizers (kitchen approval pending), prompting Realtor Jeff Owens to order some tender crab cakes.
The Sleepy Owl’s legacy stretches back decades, but its heartbeat remains the same: soups simmered from scratch, corned beef brined in-house, and seasonal catches like bluegill. Tonya reappeared. “What’ll you like, my dear?” My loaded apple, walnut, and blue cheese salad arrived shortly.
Beyond the food, Owl hums with history: lakeside toasts, generations of family dinners, first dates sealed over shared desserts. A stone’s throw from Lake Wawasee, it’s a magnet for boaters, anglers and seekers of Indiana charm, including the two Shocks.
Rolanda “Ro” and Tonya.
“Usually, when we go out to eat, we come here.” Alex lifted a fork of his taco salad to show us how good it looked. Alex graduated from Wawasee High School a year ago and was also the drum major of the marching band.
“You have to know when to come to eat here, though,” Mike added. “Like a late lunch on Friday or Sunday before 4 p.m. is good. This place can be a zoo on weekend evenings after everyone comes off the lake.”
Mike was enjoying his favorites — clam chowder with a side salad and dressing. Mike retired after 23 years with Phend & Brown. “The Reuben is also awesome. And don’t forget their pizza!”
Mike and Alex might be coming from a lake too, but they like to fish at a lake named where their ancestors homesteaded — Shock Lake in Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area. How cool is it for them to have a lake named after themselves?
Rolanda, aka “Ro,” stopped by the table to make sure we had everything we needed. She decided we needed to try their new key lime pie cocktail. She brought one over, topped with whipped cream and graham crackers, along with lots of tiny straws so we could all get a sip. It tastes exactly like a liquid form of sweet-tart key lime heaven. “It’s just something fun for summer.” Ro smiled.
Meanwhile, Alex’s story took an unexpected turn.
“Before I was a drum major in high school, I played the tuba!” Alex revealed.
Alex and Mike Shock before they join Diners and Dives.
“So how does that work when you have to practice the tuba at home?” Realtor Jeff Owens puzzled as he lifted a long, gooey spoonful of the cheese on top of his French onion soup.
“With difficulty! I had to take it home on the bus,” Alex shook his head at the memory. During his year leading as drum major, Wawasee High School took third at ISSMA State.
Alex did a year of college, but now he is considering entering the training to become a conductor on the railroad. “I’ve always loved trains too,” he said. Alex is multi-talented with music and interests. In the meantime, you can catch him in a performance of Footloose in Goshen at the Phoenix Performing Arts, July 25-27th. Tickets
here
.
Mike nudged. “He’s got a date on Saturday, too.”
“First one with this girl?” I asked. Alex’s shy grin answered.
Alex Shock shows a picture of himself with the marching band’s third place state trophy.
“So, you have to clean the car?” Vicky joked as she worked on her fried blue gill Friday special, and Alex nodded vigorously.
Paul worked on his much-coveted Hoosier tenderloin with a grin. “I love that you have the idea for a new start. A fresh start.”
Vicky complimented Alex. “It’s so cool to see a young person like yourself out there doing things.”
We ended by toasting Mike and Alex with the Owl’s famous 50-cent sundaes, which are the perfect tiny end to a meal.
TIP — The Sleepy Owl is open seven days a week, but don’t arrive before opening time at 11 a.m. They are open until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Mike and Alex were heading out to watch an afternoon baseball game. “He gets the couch. I get the loveseat,” laughed Alex.
Thanks for joining us at the last minute, guys! It was awesome to meet you both. Good luck with your date, Alex.
Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives or Banter? Send Shari Benyousky of SB Communications LLC an email at
[email protected]
.
