CAPITAL GRILLE - "REVISITED"

After my last dining experience at Capital Grille, I thought I would take a break from the establishment for some time. Low and behold, family and friends from out of town, coupled with an American Express gift certificate dragged me right back to the Galleria in East Ft. Lauderdale. Still wary of the Darden Restaurant ownership nexus, I was not convinced this was the best command decision we had ever made.

I'm happy to report this experience was a positive one. If you haven't read my original review, please read it here. I was on high alert, and ready to pound them right into the ground. We started with a bottle of Clos Du Val Pinot Noir, and waited for the appetizers to arrive.

After my last experience with the chopped salad, I opted for "The Wedge" this time around. It consisted of a quarter of an iceberg lettuce drizzled with bacon and bleu cheese. Fairly simple,it was wonderful. Next came the Lobster Bisque. It was a bit better this time and had a fair amount of lobster meat. They still tend to use too much cream and too little lobster. We skipped the Shrimp Cocktail this time around

Enough with the small stuff. I wanted my NY Strip and ordered it medium-rare, and it came perfectly cooked and was quite tasty indeed. The Lyonaise Potatoes were money in the bank as always, the Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese were also excellent. Also ordered was a 3 lb Maine Lobster, and a Filet. The lobster was very good, but a bit pricey at $94. The Filet was excellent.

I had imagined that after my previous experience there was no way they could get it right. I'm glad to say they still still know how to cook and serve the brown moo. As usual the service was excellent and our server was very knowledgeable. This in no way excuses my previous visit; however, this was a major stride to placing Capital Grille and back on the preferred list. I still prefer the steak at Council Oak at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood but Capital Grill is making its way back into my good graces. For those who use American Express, Membership Rewards has Capital Grille on their list of gift certificates available for cashing in.

Let's face it, the premium steak houses are charging exorbitant prices for their meals nowadays. When one pays $35-40 for a steak a' la carte, it should be a darn good steak, not just okay. Lets hope the Grille can keep it up.

Grilling Perfect Ribs

South Florida's year round climate makes us one of the grilling capitals in the nation. Most of us grill, and why not? The weather is beautiful, the scintillating smell of the grill, and the taste of the food is alluring. Anyone can grill, that's why it's so popular. You don't have to be a chef, a gourmet, or know any French to grill. Slap a few burgers and hot dogs down and bingo, you got a barbecue. Now for those in the know, those who secretly have a cooking apron in the closet, those who secretly watch Emeril, there is only one type of meat to barbecue, the mac-daddy, and grand poobah of all meats - Baby Back Ribs.

This recipe and methodology will make you the king of the grill. There are a few simple concepts and ideas you need to learn before we start.

First of all, always purchase fresh ribs from a meat market or butcher. Do not buy frozen or fresh frozen. If your grandmother never taught you, let me: "Fresh is Best". Secondly, You must remove the membrane or "fell" from the underside of the ribs. I have never bought ribs where this is already removed. This is the reason why people overcook ribs. With this membrane removed, the ribs will never be tough. You can ask the butcher to remove the membrane at the time of purchase, but beware, most will have no idea what you are asking for. Third, never boil your ribs. Yes, you heard me right. NEVER. This urban legend should be left with the remains of the Dodo Bird. Finally, never cut the ribs into pieces until fully done cooking.

Now you have the fresh ribs, removed the membrane and are ready for the next step. Making and applying a dry rub. I don't like marinating my ribs in a liquid marinade. The king of the grill
uses a dry barbecue rub. Here are the ingredients for 2 cups:

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup Paprika
3 TB parsley
2 TB basil
2 TB oregano
2 TB thyme
2 TB dried onion
1 1/2 TB Lemon pepper
1 TB garlic powder
1 TS allspice
1 TS cinnamon

Whisk it all together and generously apply to the racks of ribs. I let mine sit overnight but even an hour is better than none. Anything left over you can jar and save.

Okay, you have prepped you ribs and are now ready to cook them. The best way to cook ribs is on a grill. If a grill is unavailable, you can cook them in the oven. I learned that trick when I ran out of gas one summer. I use a rib rack and cook them on their side to save room.

The first step is to heat the grill to about 300 degrees with indirect heat. This means you turn on the outside two burners and leave the middle off. On my Kenmore grill this is medium on the two outside burners. In the oven the normal bake cycle will do. If you use direct heat you will overcook the ribs or burn the bottom. While heating the grill you should put a small pan of hot water directly on the grill. This will allow moisture to circulate over the ribs during the slow cooking process and keep them moist. The idea here is slow cooking, but not too slow, and not too fast.

Take the ribs and place them in the rib rack or flat on the grate with indirect heat, and let 'em cook for about 1-1 1/4 hour for a real meaty rack. At this point you are ready to apply the barbecue sauce. I take the ribs out of the rack, and lay them down for the glazing. Apply the sauce of your choice with a paintbrush. I use a thick sauce, the thin watery ones just don't do it. Your almost done. About 20-30 minutes after the sauce is on will do it. Let the ribs rest for about 5 minutes before cutting them to allow the natural juices to flow evenly and be absorbed by the meat.

You are now the King of the Grill. Enjoy.

Is Capital Grille King of the Steaks?

Let's not beat around the bush here. Capital Grille, once the time honored grandpappy of the brown moo has slipped at least a notch.

It seems that since Darden Restaurants, Inc. acquired the stuffy chain in 2007, they have relinquished some level of quality control. For those who don't know, Darden is the proud owner of such fine dining establishments such as Red Lobster and the Olive Garden.

Service was excellent. Our server named Robert was a witty, likable character who performed his tasks to excellence.

Dinner opened with a Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Bisque, and a Lump Crab Appetizer. The shrimps were perfectly cooked, but extremely small size crustaceans for a $15 appetizer. I was expecting jumbo or at least extra large for that price. The Bisque was very light on the lobster meat, heavy on the cream, but good and served at the proper temperature. The Lump Crab appetizer was the winner, served in a martini glass, chilled with cocktail sauce. Overall I ranked the appetizers as "good".

Next on the list were the salads. I was disappointed in my Capital Grille Chopped Salad. The presentation was poor and the dressing was just okay. Also tasted was the special salad of the night which was a lump crab meat salad with avocado. This was the winner of the salads. I remember the chopped salad having more visually stimulating greens and vegetables. Overall I ranked the salads as "Okay".

Finally, it was time to forget the appetizers and salads, this is the Capital Grille, where men come to eat steaks and leftovers are unheard of. Ordered were the 14 oz fillet, and a New York Strip. The fillet was ordered medium and came out medium well. The outside was charred and actually tasted burnt and was shell-like. The center of the cut was tender and flavorful as a $43 steak should be. The strip was cooked medium and was very good. The sides were lyonaise potatoes and creamed spinach. Both were very good. The potatoes in particular were the highlight of the night.

Desert was a creme brulee and cherry cobbler. Both were fantastic. The cappuccino's were well prepared and the rock candy swizzle stick adds a touch of class. No messing around with desert here

I'm afraid that Capital Grille has fallen a few notches on my list of fine steakhouses. Of the dozen or so times I have eaten there, the last two times have not been wholly satisfying. Not that the food is not good, it is tasty. But a top tier steak house with super-premium prices should have done a better job on the food itself. Their service remains a staple of excellence; however, for the overall experience I cannot give the Capital Grille a sterling recommendation. There are too many other premium steak houses in South Florida to spend the money here. Sorry Capital Grille, I expected better.

UPDATED 8/16/08 HERE