capital grille (lyn)

Zelia has been managing my miniscule portfolio, is doing an outstanding job,  and will not accept a fee of any kind.  So tonight, even though she resists, I insist on taking her to dinner.  It’s restaurant week, so dinners at many top restaurants are $35 for a 3-course meal.  We choose Capital Grille in the Chrysler Building;  neither of us has ever been. 

The restaurant is beautiful and busy.  We get a great table near the floor-to-ceiling window.  The menu displays calories, which is a big help in deciding what to order.  The Caesar salad, which I had thought to get as a first course, is 800 calories, compared to the less exciting field greens, tomatoes and fresh herbs at only 200 calories.  It’s not worth splurging on the salad.  The bread basket holds the most delicious onion bread that is impossible to resist.  We each split a piece, then go back and split another.

The main course choices all look good, so we ask our waiter for help.  With no hesitation he says, “Get the Kona crusted dry aged sirloin with shallot butter.”  “What is Kona?” I ask.  “It’s a type of coffee that is rubbed on the steak.”  It sounds awful but the waiter assures us that we’ll love it, so we both order it, along with sides of creamed spinach and Sam’s mashed potatoes (neither of us is curious enough to ask who Sam is). I love a great steak and this one ranks up there as among the best I’ve ever had.  I order medium rare and it comes cooked to perfection.  There is no coffee taste at all but the rub makes the outside a little crunchy.  For dessert, we order both the crème brulee and a chocolate flourless espresso cake; both are good.  Nothing is downsized, as I had expected it might be to compensate for the low price.  On the regular menu, the steak alone is $45, the salad $10, and one side $9.

Our waiter is fine, although the meal feels a little rushed.  No down time at all between courses.  I’m home within two hours of leaving.

Forecast for tomorrow: cold winter rain with lots of fruits and vegetables.