In Their Life: Mary Bennett, Savanna House Restaurant

Patrons at Savanna House, Mary Bennett's homestyle restaurant in Wadsworth, can see goldfinches eating at feeders just outside the windows of the veranda room, with the Lake County prairie as the backdrop while they dine on home-made corn muffins and brisket.

As Savanna House celebrates its fifth anniversary, Oct. 15, Bennett recalled her 31 years as a medical technologist at Abbott laboratories before she became a restauranteur, a family passion. Bennett's extended family, the Khayats, own 15 restaurants in Lake County, including Fatman Pizza Pub, In-Laws, Lake House and Austin's Saloon.

Bennett's restaurant, 38905 Route 41, is inspired by the prairie surrounding it. The walls are decorated with horseshoes from Temple Farms and paintings of prairie wildlife and the Wadsworth Hunt Club by a local artists. A customer gave her a woodwork model of Savanna House filled with homey knick-knacks. In a corner hangs an uninhabited wasp nest someone brought in. She wants every part of the restaurant to reflect Wadsworth's village motto: "The Village of Country Living."

Bennett, Wadsworth resident, shared her vision for the little house in the prairie with Lake County Suburban reporter Jesse Carpender.

Why is Savanna House going gluten-free?

This week we're launching our gluten-free menu. I've been listening to customers – so many people have celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease or other health problems where they can't have gluten. Thirty percent of the population requires gluten-free diets. I've read that it's also bad for children with autism or attention deficit disorder. Some kids come in here with their families and after they go through the menu for something they can eat, all they can have is a bowl of fruit. Gluten is empty, it adds nothing nutritionally. So our new menu offers everything in a gluten-free option.

We added a new kitchen so there isn't any gluten contamination. I personally want to be healthier and eat healthier and now I realize how empty gluten diets are. There really is no benefit to them.

Where does your food come from?

We use only Wadsworth local-grown vegetables, no frozen vegetables. I have beehives at home and make my own honey which is used in our honey cinnamon butter spread served on corn muffins. It's truly homestyle cooking, it's all made fresh right here. Our chicken wings were just voted No. 1 against 18 local restaurants.

The homestyle cooking aspect comes from my late husband, who loved southern cooking. In the south, corn bread is heavy with lard and the greens are cooked in fat, so we definitely added a midwest twist to make things healthier. And the corn muffins are sweet because we like them sweet up north. It's delicious, tasty and healthy.

Why is the prairie theme important to you?

This town is equestrian. At one time there were more horses than people. We have a brand new equestrian park opening behind us in a couple weeks. The trails behind us go from Chicago to Milwaukee and people can access us by horseback or snowmobile. I just love that – we had customers come up on horseback riding gorgeous pintos two weeks ago.

We're engulfed by nature – out our windows we've seen finches, blackbirds, cardinals, even two eagles. I love nature. I'm not an official birder but my customers have taught me a lot. All our bird seed comes from Wadsworth Feed Store.

What is your vision for Savanna House's future?

I own the restaurant with my son Michael. He was in an accident and is now quadriplegic, but he is a brave, strong kid and still comes to work. Our new kitchen is wheelchair accessible so he can cook. My vision was that after our first five years he'd take over, but now it will take a couple more years.

How is Thanksgiving at Savanna House?

We sell out every year and get at least 300 people between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. We serve turkey, corn bread, dressing, yams with local honey, baby red mashed potatoes, beef brisket and peach glazed ham. We make homemade pies and peach cobbler.You need reservations and we're taking them already.

What were your childhood Thanksgivings like?

My mom was an immigrant from Poland and my dad came from Greece. We grew up in Zion on home-cooked meals. Being first-generation Europeans, Thanksgiving always meant we were thankful to be in the U.S. with our family history of going through two World Wars. We'd have turkey with rice dressing, and dished from our old European background like lamb from our Greek heritage.

What has your family taught you?

I have six siblings and we own restaurants all over Lake County. We're a really big, really close family. My mom is 86 and my dad is 91, and they still come into the restaurant every day. We were taught that you can do anything in America, and you really can. I went from graduating the College of Lake County to climbing the corporate ladder to owning a restaurant. My mom went from not speaking English to being a leading Realtor in Lake County in one generation. With respect, religion and hard work, anything is possible.

How has your move from the corporate world to being a restauranteur changed you?

When I was in the corporate world, I really travelled the world and didn't know the community I lived in. For 28 years I've lived in Wadsworth, but in the last five years I've really met the community. I've made so many friends. I know the surrounding area and Lake County much better, too. What I love about Wadsworth is that you're 40 miles between Chicago and Milwaukee but it feels like you're living somewhere quaint, in the country.

For more information, visit www.savannahouse.com.