The Capital Grill – Phoenix Location
2505 E. Camelback Road
(602) 952-8900
We arrived for our reservation at 4:30 and were promptly seated. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. We began with cocktails – a Chocolate Martini made without Godiva Liquor and a Mai Tai. The chocolate martini was sent back and was promptly replaced with a correct one made with Godiva Chocolate.
We quickly dove into the appetizers. Steak Tartare and Lobster Bisque. The Steak Tartare was arguably the finest I have ever eaten, and I have eaten this dish perhaps 40 or 50 times. The texture and seasoning were complete perfection. Were I to return to this restaurant with the ability to order only one thing off the menu, this would be it. Perfectly balanced with capers that weren’t too salty, and some wonderful greens with a drizzle of what appeared to be and tested like an aged balsamic. Companion had good comments about the Lobster Bisque, especially the fact that there was more than one piece of lobster in the dish. The bisque is brought to the table with a serving of sherry which is ceremoniously poured into the dish. Personally, I prefer the sherry added at the end of the cooking so that the flavor remains, but the alcohol does not.
The menu at The Capital Grill is similar to other high end restaurants, in that all main courses are a la carte. Be warned, portions are huge, and unless you are a dyed in the wool carnivore, you will bring home a doggy bag.
After perusing the menu and changing our minds a dozen times, we settled on the Steak au Poivre and the Delmonico Steak. I asked for the Steak au Poivre to be cooked rare, and that is exactly what I got. Perfectly cooked with a Courvoisier crème sauce. The sauce was nothing to rave about, in that it added nothing to the flavor of the steak. The steak though, was perfect and huge. I will make at least one more meal out of it.
As a side dish I ordered Roasted Seasoned Mushrooms, perhaps the only poor selection on the menu. The mushrooms were without any seasoning at all – not even a pinch of fleur de sel or a touch of garlic or even some chopped shallots. Our waitress told us that they had been taken off our check, but looking at it after we left, we found that we had still been charged for them.
Companion had the Delmonico Steak (rib steak for those not in the know, and usually considered one of the most flavorful cuts of beef) served medium rare. If nothing else, the chef cooks meat to perfection. A huge cut of prime beef, tender and juicy. It’s hard to go wrong with this recipe for success. Companion also ordered Cottage Fries and Onion Strings. A table of four would have had trouble finishing a portion the size of what was brought to the table. As with almost everything else, beautifully done.
We saved room for dessert, and I for one am glad I did. While companion had a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, which was nice and tasty and served with a tuile cookie (Pirouine perhaps), I chose the Fresh Berries in Vanilla Crème Sauce. Lush, succulent raspberries, blueberries and strawberries swimming in a nice crème anglais with a sprig of fresh mint on top. What could have been better? A perfect end to our meal.
Dings? A few – The mushrooms were terrible. I didn’t finish eating them even though I love mushrooms. Some of them weren’t even cooked properly. The music is terrible – not only is it way out of style for the restaurant, but also way too loud. Many times it intruded into the conversation, making it all but unintelligible.
Cudos? First and foremost for our waitress, who helped make the meal so enjoyable. Definitely for the meat and how it was cooked. Absolutely for the Steak Tartare, which I am going to be dreaming about. And strangely enough, for the immaculately clean restroom, which is something that is too often neglected.
Overall: A top restaurant that I will definitely return to if only to have the steak tartare.
