OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG
#11
  Re: (...)
Okay, I'm not an official restaurant review person, and neither is my hubby, but we eat out maybe two times a year and we know what good eats are.

We've paid $2.50 for the best full breakfast we could have had in a diner in Vermont, and paid over 3 Bills and couldn't wait to leave the Shula's in Disneyland in Orlando.

The Hubby took me to Capital Grille in Cherry Hill, NJ for my BD dinner.

I had the half dozen Blue Point Oysters ($15) for an appy. Then the Spinach Salad ($12). For my main I had the Sliced Filet with cippolini onions and wild mushrooms($42).

The Hubby had - upon insistence of the waiter "The Best Calamari Around Here" ($12) for an appy we shared, a cup of onion soup($6), the Cesaer Salad($12), and the Delmonico Steak (22 oz) rubbed in porcini mushrooms and in a 12 YO balsamic vinegar sauce($42).

Throw in 2 martinis for me($22) and two vodkas on the rocks for him($20), plus two glasses of St Michelle Chateau merlots($22) and we were full.

Hubby had a side of Gratin Potatoes for $11 and I had the Creamed Spinach for $9. (I had to resist the Wild Mushroom side for $10)

Crap, I don't remember what they charged for coffee. About $6, I'm thinking. Plain coffee.

Did you do the math yet?

Okay, so it's my BD and I love my Hubby and he loves me, but this is a place I will never go back to. McCormick and Schmick's is way better. for the price. even Sullivan's if you strictly stay to steak houses.

The oysters were smallish and cut up -- maybe because they were cut in the process of shucking them. The minoqeutte sauce was way too vinegary. I ate them without any addition. They were tasty, but it was like picking pieces out of an open shell.

The Spinach salad was good, but HUGE. Didn't get through half of that, and I realized the "croutons" were fried bacon fat backs. Wow. You could share this salad.

The Sliced Filet entree with cippolini onions and wild mushrooms was intriuging. I found only 1/12 cippolini oinions and the mushrooms looked suspisously like white mushrooms covered in an undisguisible brown sauce. Absolutely no flavor there, but the filet was done nicely.

The creamed spinach was Popeye style - no cream and no flavor.

The calamari the Waiter endoresed was as rubbery as I've ever had and if we didn't like it, he'd "take it away".

Note: The BEST calamari we ever had was at Zelda's in Newport RI. Hands down, the BEST. So far.

Red Flag alert - never ask what a waiter recommends or listen to what he suggests. Read Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential. We fell for that, and even though that calamari tasted like rubber, the waiter took it away, and not on our bill, even though we took him up on his advice.

The cup of Onion Soup was very good - in broth only. The cheese covering was PROVOLONE. What? Yeah, PROVOLONE. What ever happened to Emmenthaler and Grueye?

The Cesear salad was okay. Stay away from the guy with the big pepper grater. He really wants to makes your salad.

The Hubby's 22oz Delmonico Porcini rubbed steak was done to perfection, but I had a piece, and did not notice a hit of the rub, and the balsamic sauce was totally missing. $42. Oh yeah.

And as a last note, even though we've been married for 22 years, we still like to savor overpriced food together and don't need the waiter to visit us two time during each course to ask if everytihing is okay, especially when we have to remind YOU that we want our glasses of St Michelle Chateau Merlot WITH OUR DINNER.

I didn't even get a "free" dessert to share even though they knew is was my BD. There was glitter on our table to distinguish our "event".

Hubby had my fave Angel Food BD cake for me at home. <Sigh>

Was I too snarky? Man! That dinner just burns me. I think we can all cook better that that!!

Whatever. I still have my Sweetie and three kitties to love!!!

Barbara
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life has given them vodka.
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#12
  Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by BarbaraS (Okay, I'm not an off...)
Not snarky at all. What an experience for not only your birthday dinner, but also because you go out to eat so seldom. For both of those reasons, it should have been perfect, dammit!!!

DH and I do not go out to dinner much, either. I enjoy cooking, and it's so difficult to find really good restaurants. Besides, our cat would get lonely if we weren't home for "lap time" in the evenings...
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#13
  Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by BarbaraS (Okay, I'm not an off...)
OUCH! A 200+ dinner and it wasn't any better than that? OIY! At least you got GLITTER ON YOUR TABLE!?!?!?! I'm sorry you had a crappy experience. For that kind of money, I'd expect melt in your mouth food, spectacular wine, and stellar service. Sounds like you got none of that. What a bummer!

Hey, go back to the kitchen and KNOW you're better than that and enjoy your meals! Like you, we don't go out very often. So when we do go out, I expect A LOT! I guess the meal you got explains why we DON'T go out very often....I'd rather have my own food...just get somebody to clean my kitchen, and I'd feel like a star! I'll use the remainder of the money for a day at the spa!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#14
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by Gourmet_Mom (OUCH! A 200+ dinner...)
If only we all lived a little closer to one another, then we could cook for each other and clean the kitchen for our friend's birthdays.
When we finally do that big get together we always talk about, best be sure to include a collective birthday party at the end
Sorry you had a bad experience, Barbara and Happy Belated Birthday. Glad you had the DH and the kitties to comfort you <<hugs>>
Cis
Empress for Life
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#15
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by farnfam (If only we all lived...)
"If only we all lived a little closer to one another, then we could cook for each other and clean the kitchen for our friend's birthdays." Wouldn't that be cool!

"When we finally do that big get together we always talk about, best be sure to include a collective birthday party at the end." AMEN!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#16
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by Gourmet_Mom ("If only we all live...)
Barb,

Next time, try The Pub, at airport circle. I can't say whether it's still as good as it was back in the 70s, but back then there were three things for which we went there: prime rib, sourdough bread, and Caesar salad.

Oh, and the next time your in the Disney area, go to the Restaurant Marrakesh, in EPCOT. Fantastic!
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#17
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by labradors (Barb,[br][br]Next ti...)
Barbara, I can relate to your disappointment. You never mind paying a lot of money for a dinner well worth it, but it stinks if you cannot fully enjoy. So sorry they put a damper on your celebration. It is fun to explore new restaurants, but I get "gun shy" after a bad experience. It makes me want to stick with the tried and true places for a while. Glad to hear there is another cat lover among us!
Theresa

Everything tastes better Alfresco!
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#18
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by chef_Tab (Barbara, I can relat...)
Barbara -- you could give Ruth Reichl a run for the money on your review! Likewise, we don't go out for high end dinners very often unless we're travelling we try to fit at least one in on vacation. Mostly because we don't have a 4/5 star restaurant in our town. We do go to a lot of banquets, but that's entirely different. Yeah, you need to be careful with the recommendations from the waiter. BTW, The best calamari we ever had was at Al's Restaurant in Cicero.
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#19
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by HomeCulinarian (Barbara -- you could...)
Good Lord, we ate at Bouchon's (a Thomas Keller restuarnt) in Las Vegas for less than that and it was one of our better 'dining out' experiences. Plus we got a tremendous tour of the kitchen!

What a shame. The best calamari I've had is buying it fresh and going home and.....
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#20
  Re: Re: OT -Capital Grille Review - WARNING, LONG by cjs (Good Lord, we ate at...)
Labs, the Pub is still at Airport Circle (circle was renovated and not as scary). they still serve great Prime Rib and that all-you-can-eat salad bar. Haven't been there in eons, but thanks to Shirley Corrihor's "Cookwise", I make a [Email]d@mn[/Email] good Prime Rib, too.

Vicci, Daphne, Cis, Theresa, HomeC, and Jean, I guess I'm just saying that I'm "off" upscale steakhouses for now. IMO, McCormick and Schmick's and Sullivan's offer a better value for the buck. For $250, Capital was not the most expensive meal we've had - Shula's in Orlando holds that record. And we couldn't wait to get out of there because sometimes you just feel like you're being "taken". Go to Shula's website and see how over-the-top this "He-Man-Meat-eaters" place is.

Barbara<~~~glad we only go out twice a year...
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life has given them vodka.
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