Chicago’s appetite for steak apparently knows no bounds. We are justifiably proud of our enviable array of four-star palaces and ethnic variety, but when you get down to it, a well-run, upscale steakhouse is just about irresistible to locals and out-of-towners.
Do it right (that is, invest heavily in training, decor, wines and top-quality meats) and customers will flock to your door.
And Capital Grille is doing it right.
The steakhouse chain, which originated in Providence, R.I., has been in town for 10 months and already seems like, if not an old friend, at least a long-time acquaintance.
Indeed, reservations are already a must. It can take a couple of weeks to secure a prime-time table on a weekend, but weekdays can be just as bad; I blithely strolled into Capital Grille at 6 p.m. one Monday, only to be told apologetically that the next available table was at 9:30 (apparently a trade show, attended exclusively by businessmen from beef-deprived regions, was in town).
The good news is that Capital Grille is serious about taking and honoring reservations. As busy as the place gets, it never seems jam-packed, because seatings are carefully staggered to keep the kitchen and service running smoothly. I did observe one party of four talk their way into a table one Saturday — but only after promising to be seated at 5 and surrender the table by 6:45 p.m.
As it happens, dining in less than two hours is an easy matter here; the kitchen is efficient, even too quick on occasion, and the streamlined menu includes plenty of dishes that can be ready on short notice.
Appetizers, for instance, are almost all chilled-seafood concoctions. Fresh oysters, smoked salmon (excellent quality and in generous portions), shrimp cocktail and a chilled seafood assortment make up most of the selection. Steak tartare, a new addition to the lineup, is the sole meaty appetizer offered.
One of the few hot appetizers proved to be the most disappointing. Lightly battered calamari, pan-fried with pimiento and hot peppers, is a cute idea in search of better execution. My first sample had been drastically overcooked, turning the calamari rings into golden-brown gaskets. On a later visit, the calamari were less rubbery, but the dish was far too greasy.
Best of the bunch is the cold baby lobster, a pound or so of chilled, beautifully fresh lobster tail that tasted preternaturally sweet. A confetti mayonnaise — homemade mayo decorated with tiny bits of diced red and yellow pepper — was an unnecessary inclusion.
Steaks are the stars of the entree list, of course. The steaks are dry-aged on the premises (the glassed-in aging room is on display by the coat check) and the flavor and texture are above reproach. Steaks generally are offered simply broiled, sliced and doused with butter sauce (quite an indulgence) or offered au poivre — crusted with peppercorns and bathed in a luxurious cognac cream sauce.
Augmenting the steaks are the occasional giant lobster and grilled pieces of fish. The blackened tuna, made with sashimi-quality tuna, is a keeper, though I’d skip the remoulade sauce, which only adds extra calories to one of the few low-fat entrees in the house. A mixed-seafood grill, including salmon, seabass, tuna and shrimp with a sweet and tart balsamic syrup, is a special that ought to be repeated often.
You’ll also find an outstanding veal chop, with a roquefort butter sauce, and an excellent double pork chop enhanced by a lively apple-onion relish. Lamb chops, massive in size and richly flavored, could be trimmed more carefully; my order had more fat than I’d prefer for the price.
As at most steakhouses, potatoes and vegetables must be ordered separately. One sidedish order will accommodate two diners easily, and even a half-order for two will probably suffice. Sam’s mashed potatoes, made with skin-on potatoes and plenty of butter, are good, though I like the crisply sauteed Lyonnaise potatoes better. A memorable sidedish one evening was a special — an assortment of roasted root vegetables with a maple-syrup glaze.
The temptation to skip desserts is overwhelming, but for those who have abandoned their New Year’s resolutions, there are a very good Key lime pie, topped with scattered pistachio nuts; a fine creme brulee with a properly glassy topping; and a dense and satisfying chocolate espresso cake.
Capital Grille’s wine list, which has garnered awards from Wine Spectator, is deep and thorough, though not a place for bargain-hunters. The list includes a thoughtful assortment of half-bottles at prices ($18 to $20 for many) that make them an attractive alternative to drinking by the glass — though there are some quality wines in that format as well.
Capital Grille makes a fine lunch destination. The steaks are somewhat smaller and less expensive, and a few lunch specialties are worth seeking out. You’d expect a steakhouse to offer a first-rate hamburger, for instance, and Capital Grille’s offering, thick and juicy, certainly delivers.
Filet hash is a fun dish, in which bite-sized pieces of sirloin are pan-fried along with diced potatotes and onions, seasoned with more than a little cracked black pepper.
For starters, the French onion soup, served in a crock with a thick blanket of Jarlsberg and mozzarella cheeses, is a fine effort, and good salads include hearts of palm with bibb lettuce, bell peppers and a creamy mango-lime dressing.
Poised and polished service makes the dining experience especially enjoyable. Servers are crisply efficient, solicitous and quick with recommendations. Occasionally things go overboard (one waiter jokingly carded my wife — was she supposed to be flattered?), but mostly the operation runs smoothly.
The spacious dining room, with its 22-foot-high ceilings and massive stained-glass chandeliers, is broken up into discrete seating areas by half-walls and raised levels; the feeling is more intimate than it first appears. There are the requisite masculine touches — rich wood wainscotting, mounted animal heads and stodgy portraits of famous Chicagoans — but if anything, the look is more contemporary than not.
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Capital Grille
(star) (star)
633 N. St. Clair St.
312-337-9400
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri.
Entree prices: $16.95-$28.95
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Strongly recommended
Other: Valet parking available; wheelchair accessible
Rating system
(star) (star) (star) (star) Outstanding
(star) (star) (star) Excellent
(star) (star) Very Good
(star) Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
