If he had all the money in the world, Jose Espinoza would build his restaurant at the top of the Empire State Building. Short of that, he’s happy to bring to Warsaw a variety of Latin American soul food rarely found in the midwest. Espinoza, with wife Heather, recently opened Redwood firewood grill and bar at 2604 Sheldon Street. The restaurant will hold a grand opening Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. with a ribbon cutting, live music and samples of their cuisine and craft beers. The menu ranges from steak, pasta and seafood to more exotic South American, Mediterranean and French dishes. The Argentine blood sausage comes recommended, Jose said Tuesday, while the buffalo meatloaf, from the Kline family farms in Bremen, has proved popular. The paninis and empanadas are also awesome, Heather added, and prime rib on the weekends has been a sellout. “This kind of menu you don’t get unless you go to Chicago or the east coast,” Jose said. “I even went to Cleveland to see if I could find anything comparable.” He said he wanted to share his love of food with the area and has been overwhelmed by the response since the soft opening Jan. 9. “I’m like this 300-pound guy, I love to eat,” he said with a laugh. “I’m a self-made chef, and I’m good at what I do.” He added his recipes come from his Honduran family and “things I pick up here and there.” That makes some ingredients hard to come by. He visits Chicago every two weeks to stock up on spices shipped from Peru and Argentina by way of New Jersey. He doesn’t add salt to anything, preferring to let the flavors speak for themselves – to flow, as he put it – though, with some reluctance, he sets shakers on the tables. Desserts come from a bakery in Michigan, while the bar offers what he considers the biggest selection of craft beers in the county, as well as wines from the midwest to South America. “We tried to cover all regions of wines,” said General Manager Laura Murphy. A single flatscreen TV is tucked away in the corner of the bar room, which Jose thinks is one too many, he admitted – he enjoys seeing diners engaged in conversation rather than rubber-necking at a game. “I like to see people enjoy themselves, feel good about themselves when they come here,” he said. ‘80s music plays in the bar area while Latin jazz sets the mood in the dining room, which features three electric fireplaces overlooking a wall-length bench. Jose said he shied away from booth seating, preferring what he called Miami cafe style. The couple has been renovating the former Wings Etc. location for several weeks and was still putting on the finishing touches Tuesday. They removed some walls, installed others and set down wood flooring. “It’s been 16 hour days for two straight months,” Jose said. Redwood’s regular hours are Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 5-11 p.m. The phone number for questions or reservations is 574-267-7004.
