for the carnivores
Monday, February 13, 2006
This was the first time I ever ate at the Capital Grille.
Capital Grille is located on Newbury Street near the Massachusetts Avenue intersection. It is easy to get to by T (Hynes stop on the green line) or by car (valet parking is offered in the evening and there is a garage just steps from the restaurant door, if you prefer).
Upon entering the restaurant you are greeted by the hostess, who greeted us, took our coats and then escorted us to our table. It is decorated in a “man’s club” style, with lots of dark paneling, pillars and stuffed animal heads on the walls.
We had a party of six and were seated in a circular booth with two in chairs. It was very comfortable without being squeezed or cramped. As soon as we were seated the waiter came over to introduce himself, distribute huge menus and to get our drink order. He disappeared only to quickly reappear with our drinks. He then left us in peace to peruse the menu.After a few more minutes our waiter reappeared to see if we had any questions, then took our order.
One person had pea soup and the other had a lobster bisque. Both said they were delicious. Three of our party had the steak tartare appetizer and I had the salad. My salad with a mix of romaine, endive and radicchio with a vinaigrette and was delicious.
For entrees we had three people who had the sliced fillet, two people who had the fillet mignon with béarnaise sauce and I had the steak tartare for my entrée. I did not try everyone’s meal , but there were clean plates all around and everyone proclaimed themselves pleased. My steak tartare was delicious. The meat was perfect, the capers and hard boiled egg just the right amount (less than the meat). It was served with warm toast rounds and a little balsamic vinegar was drizzled over the plate. Lovely!
Not everyone was able to eat dessert , but there were some takers. The flourless chocolate cake was well received. The crème brulee was enjoyed and the mixed berries in vanilla cream were wonderful.
We were there for about three hours. During that time, the waiter never rushed us or made us feel uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, when we were leaving, we noticed that they were setting up for the dinner traffic in the rest of the restaurant but no one had bothered us or tried to get us out of the way. We had good food, good company and good service . Perfect.