"Up until recently, we felt like any visit to a steakhouse required button-up shirts, something called “planning ahead,” and a written letter of approval from whoever does our taxes. Then we visited Maie Day—a semi-casual chophouse at the bottom of the South Congress Hotel—and as Toronto rapper/philosopher Drake would say, “nothing was the same.” At first glance, Maie Day’s menu looks like what you’d expect to find at a classic steakhouse. You’ll see things like shrimp cocktails, beef tartare, and caesar salads. But look a little closer and you’ll also see dishes like country ham plates, creamed greens, and funeral potatoes—think hash brown potluck casserole—that make the whole place feel like a chophouse that spent its formative years living in the suburbs of the Midwest and the South. photo credit: Richard Casteel A good chophouse should have more than just steaks (or it’d be, well, just a steakhouse), so you’ll also find things like whiskey-brined and pepper-glazed pork chops, grilled whole fish with kale gremolata, and chicken fried steaks that all toe the old-school/new-school lines. A lot of restaurants these days like to bill themselves as “New American” cuisine, but a meal at Maie Day feels “Old American,” with modern twists. Like when your dad shows up to dinner in a new pair of Yeezys, and somehow manages to pull it off. The dining room at Maie Day is open and spacious. An entire glass wall spills light into a large dining room decorated with colorful chairs, long rows of wooden tables, and chaotic lights overhead that look like tangled up piles of old copper wire with LEDs. If anything, it’s a little too open, because a few dishes in, you’ll feel like you’re at a concert with your server shouting out your next course to the background vocals of every conversation in the room. photo credit: Richard Casteel While nothing on the menu is too expensive, there’s still a bit of disparity between how they present themselves and how they price themselves—the occasional $5 grilled oyster or $25 shrimp cocktail feels like you’re paying for the South Congress location more than the presentation of the dishes. You’ll eat your meal off small tin plates that look like the kind you’d find at summer camp, while food is served on ungarnished white platters that wouldn’t look out of place at a restaurant supply store. It gives the entire meal a decidedly more casual vibe that’s probably more appropriate for a weekday dinner with friends than for a special occasion. But not every visit to a steakhouse needs to be (or should be) reserved for anniversaries, promotions, and celebrations—for those, you should head to their sister restaurant, Olamaie—and that’s part of what we like about Maie Day. Throw on a pair of jeans and head to Maie Day on a Tuesday night when you’re in the mood for an unpretentious meal in a fun environment. At the end, order the cookie extravaganza—a small tower containing two dozen assorted cookies—and bring whatever you don’t finish to the office to share with your coworkers that didn’t get to enjoy a Tuesday night steak. Food Rundown photo credit: Richard Casteel Beef Tartare This is a pretty classic beef tartare that leans a little heavy on the horseradish. Get this if you’re a big fan of tartares, otherwise save room for more sides. photo credit: Richard Casteel Grilled Oysters We love grilled oysters, and we especially love these grilled oysters. The bourbon butter they’re swimming in is sweet, savory, and rich. But at $5 each (and sadly, no bread to soak up any leftover butter), they’re some of the priciest grilled oysters we’ve come across in town. photo credit: Richard Casteel Chopped Salad This is about as much of a salad as its chicken or tuna counterparts, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of our favorite dishes. It’s a plate filled with mortadella, provolone, radicchio, and red onions, all doused in an Italian-style dressing. It’s tart and tangy, with a bit of bitterness from the radicchio. photo credit: Richard Casteel Bloomin' Onion If you’ve been to Outback, you know the drill. The bloomin’ onion here is well-seasoned and tasty, but it comes pre-drizzled with “Maie Day sauce” (a spruced up mayo-based dip) which doesn’t really allow us to get the dip action that we like out of a bloomin’ onion. Ribeye It’s perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned—you’re getting exactly what you ordered here, and nothing more. photo credit: Richard Casteel Cookie Extravaganza This is a fun end to the meal, consisting of a three-tiered tower with a variety of very tasty cookies. Order this if you’re here with a group, or want to have enough leftover cookies to bring in to work in the morning and make good with your coworkers that you didn’t invite to dinner." - Nicolai McCrary
