I made a reservation at Capital Grille to celebrate my friend's birthday. Although we arrived a few minutes early, we were seated immediately by a very gracious hostess who wished my friend a Happy Birthday on the way to our table.
The table itself was decorated with multi-colored shiny hearts and balloon shaped shiny ornaments. There was also a birthday card from the restaurant.
The restaurant itself is beautiful. It is all dark woods with classically set tables and highly trained wait staff.
We started with a shrimp cocktail and pan fried calamari with peppers. The shrimp were colossal sized and cooked (boiled or steamed) to perfection. They were extremely fresh and had the texture that can only be obtained from fresh shrimp. The calamari was one of the best dished that I have ever had and those who know me are aware that those words rarely come out of my mouth. Crunchy and crispy perfectly pan fried calamari in a mixture of various peppers. This dish is not for the faint of heart because it was spicy. But great spicy. The kind of spicy that makes you think it hurts so good.
For main courses we ordered the swordfish topped with a mixture of crab and a 22 ounce rib eye that was rubbed with porcini mushrooms. It was served mid rare exactly as ordered and was absolutely a culinary treat. I have had porcini before and of course I have eaten deliciously aged rib eyes but the combination of the two made for a memorable experience.
Capital Grille brought out a birthday dessert containing pieces of their famous creme brûlée style cheesecake and a chocolate cake. Cocktails were perfectly prepared and even the coffee was special.
This is a perfect place for a special occasion, a date or just a great meal. Finally I have to mention that the service was exemplary.