CALF_News_Feb_March_2019

47 CALF News • February | March 2019 • www.calfnews.net By Heidi Wiechert Contributing Editor  CALF BEEF REVIEW Mascoutah Steak House Mascoutah, Ill. Where’s the Really Exceptional T ucked away in the sleepy town of Mascoutah, Ill., population of fewer than 10,000, the Mascoutah Steak House sits right next to the police station. You don’t need reservations, necessarily, but they are recom- mended for larger parties. Groups of up to 45 can be seated in the upstairs room. Our party of six walked in and took the prime seat in the front. In the back, a soup and salad bar awaits hungry patrons. The walls are decorated with antiques like an old saw used to cut down trees and an ancient pinball machine with bells and no flappers. The tables have old pictures of Mascoutah under glass or varnish, to protect them from moisture. One gets a feeling of time and history as you peruse the menu. Offerings vary from seafood to different cuts of steak to chicken. But don’t be fooled by its unassuming exterior, country and quaint interior decorations and friendly staff. The Mascoutah Steak House has consistently made the Illinois Beef Associa- tion’s lists for the past couple of years. In 2015 and 2016, the restaurant made the top ten and top five listing, respectively, of the “best steak” in Illinois. In 2017, The Mascoutah Steak House was in the top five for “best burger” in the state. Based on my dining experience, they’ve earned the top marks on the beef association’s lists. The appetizers are mouth-water- ingly good. Cheese curds, toasted ravioli, which was invented in St. Louis, and bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts started the dinner on a high note. Drinks range from glasses and bottles of wine to beers on tap. For the younger guests or designated drivers, the sodas are served in mason jars like the kind grand- mothers used to can their fresh produce in to preserve them for the long winters. It wasn’t too long before the main course arrived. The burger was perfectly cooked and among one of the best one in our party has ever had. The sirloin filet, 8-ounce baseball cut, was cooked medium well and was marvelous.With a baked potato on the side it was more than enough for a meal. Another friend enjoyed a 16-ounce, bone-in cowboy ribeye, cooked rare. It must have been good because he didn’t leave a scrap on his plate. Our final guest enjoyed a Kansas City strip steak, medium, with green beans on the side. The meat, of course, melted in the mouth. The green beans were cooked in butter. There wasn’t a complaint at the table. The beef is sourced out of Kern Meat Co. in St. Louis and Wenneman Meat Co. in St. Libory, Ill. Then, the waitress brought out the dessert tray. Cheesecakes from caramel to Oreo flavor were on display. There was also a chocolate lava cake. You can have ice cream on any of the desserts you choose. The youngest member of the party said you couldn’t go wrong ordering a root beer float. She drank it down, foam and all. The chef and kitchen manager, Joshua Cook, was difficult to coax out of the kitchen. Once he came to the table, he con- fessed he “wasn’t very good with words.” But if someone can cook the way he does, what does it matter? Cook had worked previously for Tony, the former owner of The Mascoutah Steak House, but had moved away and worked at a casino for a time. A self-described “military brat,” Cook says his father ran into Tony at the grocery store and asked if Cook could work a shift at his restaurant. Cook said he did, and then Tony asked him to work again. And that was that. Mascoutah Steak House is a very small town set-up, where everybody knows everybody else, with occasional implants from the nearby Scott Air Force Base. Some might say eating there feels like going home, no matter what part of the country you’re from. The restaurant has a large room that can be rented for par- ties – my wedding reception was there in 2006. If anything, the food has only improved since. 