Capital Grille

The last dinner of restaurant week, we (Jamie and I, along with our friends D, R, J, D, M, and G) went to the Capitol Grille downtown Friday night.

We’d never been. The place is really inviting, with a classy but bustling bar area, and classic (but modern) decor. Service was very good, we never felt rushed, although one of us lingered over her salad throwing off the timing of our entrees.

When you order off the restaurant week menu, you have to expect a bit of the B game. The portions are smaller, and they are more mass produced, and this was no exception. Both the Kona sirloin and Filet were very good, though, and everything was cooked perfectly. The real win was the sides. Their restaurant week menu included a salad or soup, steak, chicken or fish, and dessert. No sides. So we ordered them for the table, and they were all hits. Big hits. Which tells me that ordering off the regular menu will be a good meal.

The wine list was comprehensive and pretty easy to navigate, although our server didn’t seem an expert. Prices were acceptable, with our wine running at about a 2x retail markup. It was worth it.

All in all, an outstanding experience, and we’ll put the Capitol Grille on our list of nice places to eat if you want to splurge a little; they are right behind Ruth’s Chris, and miles ahead of the Prime Rib (where service ruins the experience).