July 23, 2015
So, it’s not very often that I, The Hunger James, have the opportunity to visit restaurants categorized with 4 dollar signs. 3 is usually pushing it. But, after meeting downtown at work, my boss decided to treat us for a job well done and took us to The Capital Grill, located just across the street.
I got excited because of two things: One, I was about to eat one HELL of a lunch and two, the Capital Grille played so nicely with this Hunger Games theme I am trying to convey. I truly felt like a member of District 12 attending a party at The Capitol.
In my years as a foodie, I have of course heard about The Capital Grille, but had never been. To me, it was the place to eat for ultimate celebrations: a college graduation, a place to get proposed to, or not losing a sock at the laundr-o-mat the week earlier.
But when we entered the refined and exclusive premier steakhouse, I glanced around the room and noticed no one was really celebrating anything. They were just sitting there, eating as casually as they would at a T.G.I.Fridays. Only at this place, mozzarella sticks would never be on the menu.
Upon seated at our table, a young gentleman came over and filled our water glasses while another man read us the specials. Finally, after about six different employee visits to our table, the waitress arrived to take our order.
I knew the Capital Grille, like most $$$$ restaurants, are known for their steaks. But looking at the options below, I felt that at one in the afternoon, a medium rare filet would be way too rich and filling for me. Also, I didn’t want to be the guy at the table ordering a $40 steak while everyone else had a cup of soup. So, I did something I have never done before.
I ordered a salad.
A Cobb salad is my favorite type of salad, and probably the only one I would ever order at a restaurant. Served with juicy pieces of filet and topped with a whole egg, a whole avocado, a tomato, chunks of bacon, and a full-on slab of blue cheese, this salad was a lunch-goers dream.
When it came time for dessert, my boss was still feeling giddy, so he opted we all get a few to share among the table, complete with a cappuccino on the side. The dessert I paid closest attention to was the double chocolate cake with a gooey chocolate center served with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and port wine infused cherries.
This was, by far, the best lunch I have ever had and totally beats my usual BLT from the corner deli. The only down side of this meal was that I had to return to work afterward, tired and full.
