With several locations across the country, The Capital Grille in Chevy Chase dispels the myth that gracious dining can only be experienced in an environment of gridlock, or that a perfectly prepared, dry aged Porterhouse accompanied by a flawlessly chilled Stoli Doli is an urban-only experience. Featuring dry aged steaks and a wine list of over 350 labels, The Capital Grille is a classy restaurant great for business meetings, romantic dates, or celebration dinners. Closest Metro is Friendship Heights.
I have been to
The Capital Grille in Penn Quarter before, and was recently invited to the Chevy Chase location to sample the new Spring "Plates" Lunch menu. Choose a soup, sandwich and side, all for $18 and served in about 45 minutes. Enjoy the comfortably elegant atmosphere, attentive service and exceptional cuisine, all at the speed of lunch.
We were seated upstairs and it was nice and bright with the sunlight shining through the windows. Our server, Shyla, greeted us warmly and explained the lunch menu highlighting the new Spring "Plates" items. Her excitement of the shrimp dish won me over, so I chose that for my main. In honor of Spring, I also chose the asparagus soup to start and the side of grilled vegetables. The soup was very smooth and had nice flavor. Keith chose the clam chowder to start and the mini steak sandwich that was about 3 oz of the tenderloin tip with a mushroom and herb cheese spread. The soup was piping hot and had nice chunks of clams and potatoes in it. The meat in his sandwich was cooked perfectly and the truffle fries that came with were nice and crispy. Back to my shrimp - the sweetness was accentuated by the sweet piquillo peppers and the nutmeg seasoning. I would not think nutmeg to be a Spring time seasoning, but it worked in this dish. The shrimp were plentiful, about 8 pieces, and very tender. I was not too crazy about the bomba rice, as it is first prepared like a creamy risotto and then cooked down to a crisp. But overall, this meal is a generous portion for lunch. I also ordered the house made grapefruit soda and it was delightful! Not too sweet or heavy as others sodas can be. Lastly, not included in the lunch "Plates" menu, we indulged in a dessert of espresso cake. The rich and decadent chocolate flavor was kissed with a hint of espresso and the smooth consistency was similar to cheesecake. Overall, the lunch "Plates" option at The Capital Grille is a great deal and left me fully satisfied to carry on throughout the rest of my busy day. The Chevy Chase location validates up to 3 hours for parking in the nearby garage on Jennifer Street, which is a plus as street parking is limited. If you are looking for a full sit down lunch with great value ($18), yet still crunched for time (45 minutes), check out the "Plates" menu at The Capital Grille.
Total Rating: 4.15
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 5, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5
What I ate:
Asparagus Soup
Shrimp & Piquillo Peppers
with crisp Bomba rice
Grilled Spring Vegetables
Espresso Cake
Plus Keith ate:
Clam Chowder
Mini Tenderloin Sandwich
with truffle French fries
