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| Big Bill ‘Get in My Belly’ Nelly’s Review of the Week |
Capital Grille Sets Service Standard; Incredible Food, TooAs a former resident of a Washington, DC suburb, Rosslyn, VA, I thought a trip to one of the area’s more noteworthy contributions to high-end culinary excellence was in order. It had been 9 years since my previous visit to The Capital Grille’s flagship establishment at 601 Pennsylvania Ave (the Secret Service is still answering for how I got that close to the White House), but the taste of that dry-aged cow candy left a strong enough impression at the time to ensure a future visit. I and a dinner companion much too good-looking to be feasibly paired with me by outside observers walked in the door around 8:30pm on a Thursday; usually the best time and day (any weekday) to avoid the conventional dinner rush while not having to sacrifice prompt, comprehensive service: Any night server is prone to that ‘Oh, great, and I thought I was gonna get outta here at a reasonable hour’ mindset, would we have walked in at 10:45 on a Saturday night, 15 minutes before weekend closing time. But soon after meeting waiter Chad Richardson tableside, it was apparent that the professional, sincere, and robotically-efficient staff would have displayed no such tendencies should we have been so careless, partly because constant activity and a precise division of labor told a story of shared obligations, which takes the pressure off one person to perform. A hostess led us to the table, there was one guy filling waters, another presenting our wine, and Chad visiting frequently enough to make sure we were properly accommodated. The Biltmore Fashion Park Capital Grille location opened up nearly six years ago (there is another in N. Scottsdale; opened roughly 2 years ago), and brought to the city center a bold stroke of East Coast excellence in both fare and service standard. The latter determined the restaurant’s high-end reputation as much as the former, by implementing a subdued, intelligent, interactive approach from its staff. Eye contact is big here. Chad addressed the menu more as a presentational guideline, and delivered his spiel with knowledge and nuance. Though some prefer a minimized server role in their dining experience (we were appropriately offered an escape clause preceding his presentation), I enjoy departures from the menu being presented as a static, kitchen PR piece, and like to decide my option for the night based on verbal exchange if the server and establishment encourage it. We ordered a bottle of ‘06 St. Francis Red Zin; I chose the Dry Aged Porterhouse; and my guest the small Filet Mignon. For a side, the Au Gratin Potatoes came as a big enough portion, Chad assured us, that two to three people would be sated. The meat was immaculate, and had to be, based on the lofty prices (hence the infrequent trips!), the trademark aging process, and the established reputation behind the Grille’s nation-wide success and continuing expansion. But the potatoes were a sub-$10 ultravalue. Flavorful, perfectly layered, and with a crunchy outer covering of fried onions, this would be my bar option were I meeting a client to close that not-so-big deal. There isn’t much more to write than that my 2nd experience at the Capital Grille, about 3000 miles away and a decade later than the one and only DC visit, will set me up with ample anticipation for the 2018 dinner, wherever I find myself. The Capital Grille 2502 E. Camelback, Phoenix (602) 952-8900 16489 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale (480) 348-1700 www.thecapitalgrille.com
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