Our first review was of Matsos, a small Greek restaurant on the corner of W. Liberty and S. Walnut.† Upon entering, we were immediately struck by several details:
KC: I was immediately surprised by how small the interior of the restaurant was, but also how quaint.
KK: But itís definitely set up to handle a lot of people. I like the large communal table they have in the middle. It actually reminds me of a smaller burger cottage in Boston that had a similar layout.† It works really well if youíre stopping in for lunch and donít feel like getting a booth.† Though I feel like the booths are a little close to each other.† The guys sitting next to us were quite audible.
KC: Regardless, the place is really nice. I feel pretty comfortable. The staff is more than friendly.† Iím honestly impressed, and I havenít even eaten yet.
KK:† I like how in touch with the community it is.† The walls are full of news clippings and signed photos from local Wooster groups like Ohio Light Opera and the football team.† Itís refreshing to see a restaurant that’s actually part of the community, unlike the countless Chiliís and AppleBeeís that look exactly the same.† Itís clear that Matsos is working hard to connect on a local level to his customers.
KC: True. It definitely had the ìfamily restaurant” feel. They also have delicious, buttery and crusty bread.† Itís free, and I ate four of the six pieces while Kipaya was distracted.† We had a second complimentary basket, and then were ready to order.
KK: When asked what they recommended, the staff was quick to suggest the Christopher Special, a loaded sandwich of steak tips, onions and tomatoes topped with an egg.
KC: I decided to eat vegetarian and ordered the vegetarian lasagna. My meal came with a side salad ó Greek with Matsos homemade Greek dressing. The salad wasnít anything fantastic, but the dressing certainly was delicious; creamy, smooth and delectable.
KK: The Christopher Special was a delicious mess.† Absoluteley overflowing with meat, lettuce, onions and some of the most flavorful tomatoes I’ve had in a long time.
KC: Certainly a mess, Kipaya. Watching this kid try to tackle this sandwich was like watching a bear try to peel a banana.
KC: I love it when restaurants give you piping hot food ó not lukewarm. I canít tell you how many times Iíve been to some chain restaurant and they half-heartedly plop your lukewarm meal on the table. No, this lasagna is hot! And besides that, itís pretty good. I wouldnít write home about it, but it was still enjoyable.
KK: Iím definitely impressed with my meal.† Itís the first time Iíve had an egg-topped sandwich and Iím surprised to say that between the egg, tomatoes and the steak-tips, it proved to be a good interplay of flavors.† Definitely something to write home about for me.
KC: For dessert, they ran out of tiramisu. Too bad. I had carrot cake instead, which was an excellent choice. The icing ó and Iím a huge fan of icing ó was silky, rich and delicious. The cake part wasnít overwhelmingly carroty, but had just enough spice to satisfy my needs.
KK: This is definitely a night of firsts for me.† Never having had much experience with Greek cuisine, I thought it best to let the waitress pick a dessert for me.† The Baklava she recommended was a nuttier pastry than I had expected.† The real treat here was clearly the Neapolitan ice cream and the ring of chocolate sauce draped around the edges of the plate.† I think Iím starting to see a trend: thereís always a little more to the dishes at Matsos.
KC: I agree. The ice cream was truly tasty, as was the coffee. I did not expect coffee from a restaurant ó and not a cafe, pastry shop or coffee shop ó to be this good. It wasnít Starbucks, but it was close. Obviously a far cry from the bitter coffee of Lowry.
KK: The service is certainly one of the best parts of the whole meal.† Rarely does one ever see the owner of a restaurant out of the kitchen or back office and engaging the customers.† Coming from a big city like Boston, itís refreshing to eat in a restaurant where thereís an actual connection between the staff and the diners.† Itís really nice to be in a place where the restaurantís connections to the community donít look like theyíre something out of a corporate catalog.
KC: Kipaya hit it on the nose with refreshing. We had a chance to sit down and have a nice conversation with Mr. Matsos about a whole litany of subjects.† He even showed us a magic trick. Besides the owner, the staff was also extremely kind and efficient, creating a very friendly environment. There was one quote that stuck out most to me when talking to Mr. Matsos ó diners could expect to leave ìhappy in their tummy, happy in their heart, and happy in their soul.” I certainly agree.
KK: I think itís time to rank it up!
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