Review: A steakhouse with a twist

Photo by KELLI STANKO, Special to the Daily News

Filet Mignon with cipollini onions and wild mushrooms drizzled with au jus.

Photo by KELLI STANKO, Special to the Daily News

Lobster Mac and Cheese, baked Campanelle pasta and fresh Lobster meat, tossed in a Mascarpone, Havarti and Grana Padano cream sauce, topped with Panko bread crumbs.

Photo by KELLI STANKO, Special to the Daily News

Parmesan Truffle Fries, tossed in shredded Grana Pandano, kosher salt and white truffle oil.

When the Capital Grille opened in the summer, my first reaction was: “Really? Another steakhouse?”

Located right across the street from Fleming’s and not too far from Ruth Chris, opening the restaurant seemed to be quite a gamble. But as it turned out, they gambled, and they won.

I’ve dined at the Capital Grille on several occasions and have enjoyed both the dark, country club décor and the food they serve. The service is professional without being stuffy and while the prices are high, so is the quality of the food.

The pan-fried calamari with hot cherry peppers ($13) is by far the most interesting starter on a menu that gravitates toward traditional appetizers such as shrimp cocktail ($15) or oysters on the half shell ($15 for six). It doesn’t only sound good on paper: it happens to be an excellent, flavorful dish. Tender calamari are lightly breaded and pan-fried until golden, then tossed in a cherry pepper and scallion mixture — an interesting twist to a beloved classic. The hot peppers and tangy scallions add a pleasant heat to the dish and the calamari are cooked just right, still juicy inside with a crunchy crust on the outside.

On a different occasion, we order the spinach salad with warm bacon dressing ($9). Fresh baby spinach, onions and sliced mushrooms are dressed with a warm bacon dressing and sprinkled with chopped hard-boiled egg. The salad itself is good — the veggies are fresh and crunchy and the egg’s presence isn’t overwhelming. But what makes it exceptional is the warm bacon dressing. Sweet and salty at the same time, it makes me reach for more and more, something I usually don’t do when it comes to salad.

It’s no surprise to find out that the entrée section of the menu is very heavy on steaks — this is, after all, a restaurant that takes great pride in their beef dishes. And they should. I order the sliced filet mignon with cipollini and wild mushrooms ($42), one of the chef’s suggestions, and it turned out to be a succulent, delicious dish. Thick and juicy, my filet was cooked rare, red and slightly cool in the center, just as I asked. The cipollini were pungent enough to give the meat a certain kick, while the savory wild mushrooms give the dish a rounder flavor. I usually prefer my steak without any sauces or condiments, but this filet is so well-prepared it quickly became a personal favorite.

Of course, there is more to Capital Grille than just filet mignon and Delmonico steak. The veal chop with Roquefort butter ($37) is a solid option for anyone who enjoys veal. Tender and moist, this bone-in, humongous chop was grilled by someone who knows what they are doing. Cooking veal, especially in a busy restaurant kitchen, can be tricky: the meat has a tendency to dry and get rubbery. Not at Capital Grille. Leaving the bone in infuses the veal with a more intense flavor, and searing it makes sure the juices are sealed inside. The result is a veal chop that is flavorful and melts in your mouth. The Roquefort butter is a nice finishing touch and, as butter often does, makes the dish even better.

What comes as a surprise, a wonderful one at that, is that the side offerings are so good (and huge) they could become main courses. The parmesan truffle fries ($9) are a decadent, delicious side dish big enough to share: Hand-cut french fries are tossed in salt, shredded Grana Padano and white truffle oil. Before I even take the first bite the scent in the air tells me the chef hasn’t skimped on the truffle.

I pick up a lonely fry, golden in color and slightly sticky from the cheese, and pop it in my mouth. Divine. Salty, pungent and yet, strangely delicate, they are so good I find myself repetitively closing my eyes while eating them, concentrating on the explosion of flavors in my mouth.

Completely different but also very good is the lobster mac ’n’ cheese ($14). We order it because it’s always interesting to see how these chefs take a comfort food classic and reinvent it. We are in for a treat. Campanelle pasta and lobster meat are baked in a blend of mascarpone, havarti and grana padano, topped with Japanese bread crumbs and grated white cheddar. The four cheeses are savory enough to give a new depth to the dish and the browned breadcrumbs provide a satisfying crunch.

But what turns out to be out-of-this-world is the lobster. Very simply put, it’s the most tender lobster meat I’ve ever eaten, and it goes so well with the pasta and the cheeses that I wonder why nobody has thought of this before.

Then again, that is what great chefs do. They take dishes we have eaten a million times before — filet mignon, french fries, mac ‘n’ cheese, an ice-cream sandwich — and they transform it into something new, something exciting, something delicious.

© 2008 gonaples.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.