A Memorable Evening At The Capital Grille

The Capital Grille is well known for their high quality food, wine, and wonderful service. For my husband’s upcoming birthday I wanted to take him somewhere very special and when our friends raved about The Capital Grille it was set that we would go there. We checked out their menu online and I called to make reservations. They asked if it was a special occasion and I said yes, my husband’s birthday. It must be common that people go for a special occasion and now we understand exactly why. They told me for birthdays they offer a complimentary flourless chocolate espresso cake, perfect!

The menu looked great to me, but I wanted to make sure there were gluten free and dairy free options, it’s hard to tell when it comes to sauces and preparation methods aren’t always explicit about ingredients. I filled out a contact form on their website with my concerns and they sent me an e-mail from the head chef the very next day. They explained how they would keep everything separate to avoid contamination as much as possible. They gave me a list of gluten free foods by appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert selection. I was so pleased by their response and was confident we could dine there worry free.

Below is what they wrote:

“

Dear Mrs. Higgins:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in The Capital Grille.  Please notify the Chef or a manager upon arrival of your food allergies and we will use new tongs and pans to prepare your food and take extra steps to keep your food away from items with gluten.  While we do have flour, dairy, soy, and corn in our kitchens, and as such, cannot guarantee an absolutely allergen free experience, the items listed below are made from recipes that do not include gluten.
APPETIZERS
– Wagyu Carpaccio
– Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella ordered without croutons
– Oysters on the half shell
– Shrimp Cocktail
– Cold Shellfish Platter
SALADS
– Caesar Salad ordered without croutons
– Garden Salad ordered without dressing
– The Wedge Salad
– Spinach Salad
SIDES
-Roasted Crimini, Portabella, Shiitake, Oyster Mushrooms
-Baked Potatos are typically available upon request
-Fresh Asparagus with Hollandaise
-Sams Mashed Potatoes
ENTREES
– Any steak ordered without sauce
– Lamb Chops without Cherry Mostarda
– Fresh Lobster
– Fresh Seared Salmon fillet ordered without citrus glaze
– Fresh Swordfish with lemon shallot relish
– Sesame Seared Tuna ordered
– Roasted Chicken
DESSERT
Crème Brulee
– Fresh Berries with Vanilla Cream
– Sorbet
– Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake
-Handcrafted Ice Cream ordered without the biscotti
We look forward to serving you. Please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to further customize a meal that suits your needs.
Sincerely,
Jim Nuetzi
Corporate Executive Chef
The Capital Grille
407-245-5199

“

We were immediately seated when we arrived and they had a birthday card and metallic confetti on the table waiting for us. A printed gluten free menu was waiting for me and we were offered a complimentary Champagne toast to start off the evening. Thank you! The server was very helpful and let us know they could accommodate all of our needs. We asked a few questions and took our time ordering a bottle of wine. An outstanding selection with several different types of wines and wines by country and regions. We selected a Mark West Pinot Noir which was an excellent choice.

Dining at The Capital Grille was an experience similar to what we remember from our vacation in Paris a few years ago. There was no rush to order, the evening was relaxing, and you never feel rushed by any means. This is how dining is really meant to be. Turning tables is not the point at this establishment, creating a memorable experience is the whole intention, and that’s exactly what they did for us.

My husband ordered a cup of the French Onion soup to start which was filled with rich caramelized onions, draped by a blanket of bubbled up broiled cheese on top and the signature piece of bread at the bottom of the cup. He was delighted! We were served bread at the table with butter, my husband enjoyed a few slices of what looked like focaccia bread with soft butter.

I ordered the Filet Oscar without the sauce Béarnaise Sauce. My husband ordered the special of the evening, Filet with Butter Poached Lobster. We also ordered half portions of the sides, Sautéed Spinach cooked with olive oil and whole roasted garlic cloves(yum!) and Au Gratin Potatoes. The server let us know we could place half orders of the sides since the portions are large and it was just the two of us. This worked well as my husband had the Au Gratin Potatoes to himself, since they are filled with cheese and topped with bread crumbs. He said they were the best he ever had! I remember eating Betty Crocker au gratin potatoes from the box when I was younger, these looked absolutely delicious – no comparison.

The filets were cooked perfectly, medium rare, they were lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, nothing more was needed. A good quality piece of meat needs nothing more than a little S+P, quite amazing! The crab meat on top, tender and moist chunks, quite excellent!

We just had to save room for dessert so a take home box for dinner was needed. Dessert arrived with a lit candle and the server took our picture, another complimentary offering! We also each had a single shot espresso that went perfectly with the flourless chocolate espresso cake. The cake was moist with a rich chocolate espresso flavor, not overpowering by any means, the flavors were just right.

The evening was wonderful, we could not have wanted for anything more. My only request is to go back for my birthday in September!

The Capital Grille

Boca Raton Town Center Mall

6000 Glades Road

Boca Raton, FL 33431

561.368.1077