An excellent steak dinner must be served with an excellent wine. Having known The Capital Grille launched its 3rd Annual Artist Series Wine Event on March 19th, we decided to order a bottle of the 2012 Limited-Edition Cabernet Sauvignon. For every limited-edition bottle sold, The Capital Grille will donate $25 to Share Our Strength®. The wine was full-bodied Cabernet that isn’t too dry with a fruity undertone. Not overpowering. Great choice to complement your meal.
For appetizers, we ordered the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and the Crab and Lobster Cakes. Carpaccio are paper-thin slices of seared beef garnished with fresh arugula and lemon vinaigrette and a thin sheet of parmesan cheese. Topped with freshly ground pepper, this appetizer was absolutely delicious. In the lightly breaded cakes were pieces of jumbo lump crab meat and chunks of juicy lobster. There was about 95% meat and the rest were panko and the other ingredients needed to keep its shape. The cakes were perfectly cooked, and the outside had a nice crunch.
Since I’ve had their lamb chops before, and our server recommended I try it with a Porcini-rub cooked medium-rare plus. I’m glad he made the recommendation. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly – a little red in the center – with the right amount of char. The meat was tender and juicy.
For a steak lover, the Porcini-rubbed Delmonico with 12-year Aged Balsamic is a must-have. A Delmonico is a juicy and tender cut of meat. The porcini rub complements the meat.
Our side selection was the Lobster mac and cheese, again sticking with our favorites. It’s made with Campanelle pasta and fresh Lobster meat, tossed in a Mascarpone, Havarti and Grana Padano cream sauce, topped with Panko bread crumbs and grated white cheddar. It’s rich and very filling. One side is enough to share between two people.
We’ve tried almost every dessert on the menu, but avoided the cheesecake because we assumed it was a typical New York Cheesecake that you get at a steakhouse. Our server, Chase, convinced us to get it after he described it as being “lighter with a crème brûlée top.” The cheesecake was delicious, not as light as a Belgian cheesecake, but just the right consistency and sweetness. It came garnished with berries and a strawberry sauce. Believe it or not, the Artist Series wine pairs well with the cheesecake.
As always, The Capital Grille delivers with excellent food, excellent service, and what you’d expect from a steakhouse. We dine here every month because of this.
The Capital Grille
230 Tresser Boulevard
Stamford, CT
Tel: (203) 967-0000
www.TheCapitalGrille.com