Last week, I was standing at the grocery store attempting to buy a steak for my father. I’d never done this before, and called him twice (he didn’t answer) to see which cut would be the best choice. I came home and showed him my purchase. He laughed and said, “Oh honey, I need to take you out and show you how to buy a steak.”
I think he would have been proud of my purchase at The City Square Steakhouse.
Located in a small brick building in downtown Wooster, the restaurant offers its patrons the chance at traditional Chicago-style steakhouse dining. Mike Mariola opened The City Square Steakhouse in 2008, following his success in 2002 with his first restaurant, South Market Bistro, located across the street.
At the steakhouse, tables and chairs are arranged beneath a blanket of lights, and the patio provides a teasing promise of romantic evenings in the warmer months. Inside, the restaurant is cozy but well-organized. The bar is the first thing you’ll see when entering; keep walking and you’ll find the hostess who will seat you in one of the two rooms filled with tables and booths.
One of the best features about the restaurant is the lighting. It’s always annoying when restaurants are too dark and you can’t read the menu or see your companion’s face, but The City Square Steakhouse has the perfect lighting: not overly dim, but enough to make it feel as if you and your guest are the only patrons in the restaurant.
For most, the prices are strictly special-occasion, but the menu is filled with appealing options that won’t bury you with esoteric gourmet terms and selections. Ask for the bar menu to find more affordable options among their burgers, or opt for a veggie burger if you’re a vegetarian.
The appetizers include items such as gourmet truffle-oiled cheese fries, crispy crab cakes, and pan-seared spicy shrimp. The salad selection has the classic Caesar but also a field greens salad, a blend of baby greens with cherry-walnut vinaigrette and the perfect amount of feta cheese, toasted walnuts and red onion.
The drink list is extensive. More than 29 options are available in the wine and beer section, not including the cocktails you can have mixed at the bar.
It’s surprising how many wait staff you can see bustling around, filling glasses and politely checking up without being a nuisance. It was even more shocking when a cook brought out my sirloin: Topped with mushrooms, onions and roasted garlic butter, my steak was savory, full of texture, buttery with great chew. If you don’t want the sirloin, try the peppered strip steak, the ribeye, the center-cut filet mignon or seven other steak and chop options.
An added bonus is that The City Square Steakhouse, as well as the South Market Bistro, gets most of its items locally. Mariola plans to open up a casual burger restaurant in the coming year in Akron where he will maintain that locavore philosophy.
In part due to City Square’s perfect timing in the delivery of its courses, there’s definitely room for dessert. Caramelized banana-topped sundaes, German chocolate cake and New York cheesecake are a few of the featured desserts, but the two I sampled were the pumpkin swirl cheesecake and apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
Unfortunately, a dessert junkie like me found it disappointing to discover the crust was a bit overdone on both the cobbler and the cheesecake. It didn’t spoil my meal, but definitely wasn’t the perfect way to end it.
Despite the desserts, the restaurant gives its patrons a night of fine dining while providing a relaxed atmosphere and quality steaks. If you want to learn how to pick out a steak properly, skip the grocery store and head to The City Square Steakhouse.
