Just when you thought the South Congress area couldn’t get any cooler, an acclaimed hospitality group cooks up something new.
The team behind acclaimed Central Austin restaurant Olamaie has announced it will open a steakhouse at South Congress Hotel this spring. The news may be bittersweet for some, as the new concept, Maie Day, will take over the hotel’s existing New American restaurant, Central Standard.
Projected to open on May 1, Maie Day is a collaboration between the New Waterloo team (behind South Congress Hotel) and Maie B Hospitality, helmed by founder and executive chef Michael Fojtasek. Fojtasek, known for his award-winning first concept, Olamaie, will serve as executive chef at the new South Congress outpost.
The two hospitality groups have partnered previously on Little Ola’s Biscuits at Butler Pitch & Putt, which opened in 2021. “New Waterloo is exceptionally good at bringing the right people into a room to build ideas that have intention and vibrancy. Together, MaieB Hospitality and New Waterloo bring a level of execution and devotion to excellence that gives strength to our overall vision,” says Fojtasek in a release.
Much like the ancient tradition itself, Maie Day will be a daily festival of food and community, with a menu designed around playful takes on classic steakhouse options. Appetizers will include smoked fish dip, peel and eat shrimp with Maie Day Sauce, cold shaved prime rib, and Texas chopped salad. Mains will feature a daily grilled whole fish, grass-fed rib-eye, a butcher’s steak, and prime rib. A plethora of sides will include scalloped potatoes, grilled green beans, and creamed corn, grilled tomatoes, while rumor has it that the dessert program will feature the greatest cookie tower South Congress has ever seen.
“To experience the food of a chef as talented as Michael is inspiring,” says New Waterloo partner Bart Knaggs. “To see he's got the heart of a lion is inspiring at a whole other level. I know he can cook, but I'm more excited about his ambition to do it all the right way, for the right reasons. Culinary excellence is the necessary element; cultural leadership is the compelling one. Michael has both — that's the kind of person you want to be around. When thinking about the right team to create a new restaurant at South Congress Hotel, Michael was the immediate answer.”
No stranger to the spotlight, Fojtasek is a three-time finalist for James Beard's Best Chef: Southwest finalist and was also named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2015. While his menu at Maie Day will be the main attraction, the reimagined Central Standard space will remain a draw for the swanky South Congress spot.
“The intention behind Maie Day’s interiors is to bring warmth to the space and allow the food and the people to shine above all else,” says New Waterloo designer Olenka Hand.
Central Standard’s last day of operation will be this Saturday, April 2, with Maie Day’s opening set for May 1. Hours will be 3-10 pm daily, with brunch coming soon. Reservations are available now at maieday.com, and complimentary two-hour parking in the South Congress Hotel garage with validation. Valet parking is also available for $8 per hour.
Maie Day will take over the Central Standard space, with service starting May 1.
