Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Capital Grille, Chestnut Hill


The Capital Grille is not just a restaurant; it is an experience. I was super excited to go here last night with Jeremy to celebrate my new job. I have been once before to the old location on Newbury Street when I turned 21, but I have not been back since. This past winter I went to Morton’s during restaurant week, which was also amazing, but I do have to say my experience last night was far superior. I loved every minute of being there, every bite of food and every sip of wine.

Restaurant Week is great. For those of you unfamiliar with it, each participating restaurant offers a 3-course meal for $33.12. There is also a lunch 3 course and 2 course menu as well. You have the choice of one appetizer or salad, one entrée and one dessert. Restaurants will offer anywhere from 2-5 options in each category. This is a great way to explore and try those top notch and ridiculously expensive restaurants we don’t dine at on a regular basis.

I was pleasantly surprised that they offered gluten free bread. Even more surprising, is that they don’t offer dinner rolls, but raisin sandwich bread. I found this a little odd but I did love the bread, it was more like having a slice of toast before my meal.


It is one of my favorite kinds, both Rudi’s and Udi’s make it and I’ve seen it at my local Trader Joe’s.

For starters, I ordered the Field Greens, Seasonal Vegetables with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette. Loved the dressing but the salad was only lettuce and tomatoes, no other vegetables. I did like the lettuce though, a lot, and I wish I knew what kind it was so I can buy it! Jeremy had the Cesar salad, which was just ok. The lettuce was a little welted. 


We both ordered the Bone-In Kona Crusted Aged Sirloin. This was without a doubt one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. It was exceptional, expertly prepared, and cooked to perfection. It was beautifully seasoned with coffee beans and peppercorns. The coffee bean flavor really came through and gave it a nice little aftertaste. It had a nice crisp, charred texture on the outside and was unbelievably juicy on the inside, and incredibly flavorful - mouthwatering. The Shallot butter had flour in it so it was left off, but it didn’t need it, I didn’t miss it one bit. The steak was impeccable on it’s own. Not much more I can say besides that it was amazing and Capital Grille really holds up to its name. I can’t wait for restaurant week next year!


Even though it was restaurant week, the portion was big, not downscaled at all, like some other restaurants serve during restaurant week.

For our sides we shared the mashed potatoes and Grilled Vegetables. The mashed potatoes were ok, Jeremy loved them, I’m not a big mashed potato fan but I liked the smooth and creamy texture. The vegetables were tasty and nicely seasoned. 


For dessert I had the Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake. It was dense, rich and bitter sweet. It was thick like fudge and I really enjoyed it. I needed a glass of milk to go with it though! It was served with a scoop of cream, which I loved dipping the cake in and which gave it a nice balance. The thick fudge like texture might turn some people off, but as a chocolate lover, this was devine.


Jeremy had the Crème Brulee. It was also very rich, topped with fresh berries and vey nicely caramelized. It was good; it tasted like every other crème brulee I’ve ever tried, nothing outstanding.

Our waiter was great, and even remember Jeremy from the last time he was there with 11 of his friends, but who wouldn’t remember a group of 12 rowdy guys?  He was very knowledgeable about the menu, very polite and gave us just the right amount of attention, filling our wine glasses when empty but giving us plenty of time to ourselves. We never once felt rushed or neglected. This was one of the best dinning experiences I’ve had.

During the summer (July 9 - September 2) Capital Grille offers “The Generous Pour” Summer Wine Event. For $25 per person, you get to try nine remarkable wines, as many pours as you would like. This was such a great opportunity to enjoy and try different wines. I tried all 4 reds, one white and the rosé. The wines were good, nothing exceptional, but I did like trying so many different kinds and I would do this again.

I highly recommend checking out Capital Grille during restaurant week. They also have a gluten free menu. 

Location:  250 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
                    900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115

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