by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Dining is theatre, and at Capital Grille they set the stage for the rich and slightly ostentatious. The atmosphere feels exclusive, like you’ve just walked into a private men’s club. Each nook of the restaurant is filled with some kind of art piece, oils of long forgotten minor royalty, landscapes and hunt scenes. It’s all very conservative and male, but occasionally you’ll see something really out of the ordinary, like the huge eagle sculpture which might well loom over your head as you dine, ready to swoop down and capture the prey.
While some people might dine regularly at The Capital Grille, because of the price most folks will add it to their list of special occasion places. A steep price tag means you can expect and demand more, both in service and in what’s set before you on the plate. Pricing for a dinner entrée is about $23-45, with most selections in the mid-thirties. The Capital Grille has a ton of competitors in the immediate area of the Town Center, so they have to deliver quality everything at the price they’re asking, or they won’t survive there.
If your wallet’s a bit thin, but you love to try new fine dining hotspots, aim for lunch, when the entrées are about $12-25. Or you and your friends can all stick to the appetizer menu. You won’t get the benefit of the full menu, but you will get to check the place out.
Word of mouth and the glamour of a shiny new restaurant have ensured that they are booked solid for Valentine’s Day. That holiday is a crazy dining day anyway, so opt for the weekend instead, or, if you can’t book that, tell your sweetheart you’ve booked dinner at one of Jacksonville’s most in-demand eateries as a post-Valentine’s Day treat.
Steak and seafood are the items you’ll want to order. After all, if you’re going to have a traditional American fine-dining experience, you may as well order the traditional items.
At lunch or dinner you can order the calamari appetizer, provided you like a little sweet heat from by hot cherry peppers tossed into the mix. Fried with Panko Japanese bread crumbs, these fresh and tender calamari are briefly soaked in soda water, which makes the batter fluff up.
To start your meal, there are a dizzying 450 wines to choose from. Not to worry, your server can help guide you. They’ve also got a full bar, a martini menu and an awesome (but dangerous) signature cocktail: the Stoli Doli. They take Dole pineapple, cut it into chunks, infuse the pineapple with Stoli vodka, then squeeze the liquid out. It’s an incredibly smooth, not overly sweet drink.
I sampled three of their beef items. The Kona crusted, in-house dry aged sirloin had an incredible flavor. But it was beaten by the tender sliced Filet Mignon, served on a bed of Cipollini onions and wild mushrooms, glazed with a fig essence sauce. I was most bowled over by the lightly seared Kobe Beef Carpaccio. The quality beef, sliced translucently thin, was dressed with a fine extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, served with a little arugula and a few slices of parmesan cheese.
One of their most popular side items is the lobster mac and cheese. Humble mac and cheese really goes uptown in this tasty prep, with several different kinds of cheese and lobster meat, carefully removed, intact from the claws.
Dessert, my favorite part of any meal, was not a let down. Their prettily plated coconut cream pie is now a top contender as one of my favorite desserts. This is a shock to me, since it doesn’t involve chocolate. The dessert managed to be simultaneously light and sinful. Stuck in the cream was a macaroon that was shaped into a thin, round wafer instead of the customary macaroon shape.
For business men looking to impress their clients, Capital Grille is a perfect fit. They have private dining rooms for board meetings, client meetings and presentations in a lavish dinner setting. The “Board Room” accommodates up to 10 people; the “Wine Room” seats 28 and the “St. Johns Room” takes about 20 guests. Make sure you call ahead for these rooms, as reservations are generally preferred.
5197 Big Island Drive (in the St. Johns Town Center) (904) 997-9233
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