I’m playing a little blog catch-up this week.  A few weeks ago, my family went to The Capital Grille for my Dad’s birthday and I promised a quick review. The didn’t quite happen but better late than never, right?

As I mentioned on the blog earlier, The Capital Grille is a national chain owned by Darden Restaurants, the same group that brought you Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Now, I am usually not too keen on chain restaurants when it comes to fine dining, especially one that offers super cheap seafood (no thanks) and all you can eat salad and breadsticks for the low, low price of $5 (I have less of a problem with this).  It is not that I have anything against a good deal…I tend to prefer locally owned spots when it comes to a special occasion.

But I had been to The Capital Grille before and it has yet to disappoint, so I figured it was a safe bet.  Plus, Darden also owns Seasons 52, a health-conscious restaurant with a seasonally inspired menu, which I love.

But I digress. After our party arrived, we were promptly seated by our server Melissa, an extremely kind woman who has been working there for close to a decade.  She was actually our server four years ago when my wife and I celebrated our engagement. To me, it says a lot about the quality of a restaurant when you have the same people working there for extended periods of time.

Upon being seated, we were brought a small bite from the kitchen consisting of jumbo lump crab meat on top of a substance that I cannot remember but I am sure was very good. A very nice way to start a meal.

Given that the dinner was a celebration of life, we decided to be gluttons for the evening and order a couple of appitzers as well.  I really wish I would have taken some photos of the Waygu Beef Carpaccio and Smoked Salmon we ordered before they were devoured by the table but, alas, all you have is my word.  And I give you my word that both were exceptional.  The fact that I didn’t even have time to snap a photo is a testament to this.

After appetizers, it was time to put in our orders.  Now, The Capital Grille offers a pretty diverse menu but I knew before I even stepped foot in the restaurant that I was going to select one of their steaks.

My wife says that I like steak because my blood type is O and people with that particular type crave meat.  After a quick search of Wikipedia, I learned that to be true.  I am part of the hunter group, the earliest human blood group, which of course meant it was going to be steak night.

But before I could begin my hunt, I thought I would pay a little tribute to blood type A, the cultivar, and order a salad.

If there is one salad I could eat all day and all night, it is the Caprese Salad, a wonderful mix of buffalo mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, EVOO and, in the case of The Capital Grille, a 12-year aged balsamic.  Magnifico!

But then came the real decision.  What steak to order?  Our server let us know they had a special dry aged Delmonico, a bone-in top loin steak. Sold. I decided on the special but asked they prepare it with their kona coffee dry rub and top it with caramelized shallot butter.  Go big or go home, right?

My honest assessment?  One of the best steaks I have ever eaten. I kid you not.  I have eaten many a steak in my day, including some from Atlanta’s highly touted Chops and NY Prime, but this took the cake. Not only was it a perfect cut of meat but the kona cub created such a distinct and delightful flavor. And you know what? It was just as tasty the next day when I took it in for lunch.

To cap off what was most certainly a calorie-filled evening, the restaurant brought out a free cheesecake for my Dad’s birthday. Unfortunately, most of us were too stuffed to actually eat any of it but at least it looked tasty and was a nice gesture.

In short, it was a truly wonderful dining experience from the minute we stepped into the restaurant to the moment we left.  The food was excellent, the service spectacular.  I really have nothing bad to say.  I want to give it four stars because of my dislike for fine dining chains but I simply cannot.  Here’s a five spot for you.  The first on the Epicureman site.  Enjoy!

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