The Capital Grille By Jim White Everything old is new again. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we’ve had a surge of steak house openings around here lately. It’s caused me to reach two conclusions: (1) we can’t get enough beef-for now, and (2) either we’re getting very nostalgic, or the restaurant consultants seem to be trying to cultivate a nostalgic feeling among restaurant patrons, because all of these big bucks houses of beef offer décor that is a throwback to a bygone era. The Capital Grille in the Crescent Court is no exception. The power steakhouse from D.C. that opened in the old “Deli News” location on the Maple Avenue side of the Crescent feels like old men’s club from the 30’s or 40’s. Lots of dark wood, plush leather booths, and rich furnishings. It’s very stylish, and very posh. The room is filled with large oil paintings of historical Texas figures. Sarah Cockrell, William Harry Gaston and Anson Jones, a president of Texas--names you might recognize, but the servers can match up the names with the faces and even recite a few facts about these folks in case you’re interested. The Capital Grille Menu is big. I mean the actual menu. It’s large enough to be unwieldy. It would make a great prop if you wanted to hide from someone across the room. In all fairness, it contains both the food and the wine list. The list is comprised of value priced, moderate and a few expensive bottles, including big names from California and France. There are several moderately priced wines by the glass, although the reds are better than the whites; something you’d expect in a chophouse. Lobster and crab cakes is a popular starter. Capital Grille also offers a good range of fresh oysters, clams and a cold shellfish platter. The pan-fried calamari is made with a very tasty combination of hot cherry peppers mixed in with the squid. It’s an interesting change from a standard marinara sauce. We found the calamari a bit greasy. Salad selections provide a nice range. The ubiquitous “Wedge” of iceberg is served with Bleu Cheese and crumbled bacon-nicely done. The hearts of palm salad is light and delicate with a delicious flavor. The beef is all prime aged, and most selections come in two cuts-one big, the other huge. Sliced steak and sirloin are two of the most popular cuts. We tried a recommended Steak au Poivre with a Courvoisier Cream Sauce. It was cooked a bit more than ordered, but unlike most pepper steaks, the peppercorn-encrusted beef had fire without being overwhelming. The sauce, more like gravy, has a moderating influence. A beautiful veal chop, lamb chops and roasted chicken are also offered at Capital Grille. There is a nice selection of seafood on the menu. Broiled fresh lobster is served in 2, 3,4 or 5 pound choices, at twenty bucks a pound. We had a blackened tuna steak with a Remoulade Sauce that was delicious, but also cooked longer than requested. Side offerings are plentiful and should be ordered to share. Fresh asparagus were lightly steamed and served with Hollandaise. We saw mounds of cottage fries and onion rings pass the table. A whopper of a baked potato, weighing in at a full pound, is also served. After dinner, another unwieldy menu is presented, but this one has desserts, coffees, single malt scotches, liqueurs, cognacs and other after dinner drinks. Everything is very well organized on this drink menu and you can learn quite a bit about the varieties offered and the regions from which they come. The desserts are made in-house and the ones we tried were beautifully done. The Ricotta Cheesecake with strawberry sauce was smooth and creamy. The best I’ve had since North Beach in San Francisco. There’s also a wonderful Key Lime Pie. On the KRLD Review Scale of One to Five Forks, Capital Grille Rates 3 and a Half Forks. That breaks down like this: Food is 3 and a Half Forks. Service is 3 and a Half Forks. Atmosphere is 4 Forks. Price is very expensive. Entrees range from $16.95 to $29.95; lobster is $20 per pound, and everything is ala Carte. Capital Grille 500 Crescent Court, Suite 135 (214) 303-0500 Open Monday through Friday for lunch; Monday through Saturday for dinner. Reservations recommended. Complimentary valet parking. Send me an Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.