Valentine’s Day Dinner at The Capital Grille Downtown Seattle

I know Valentine’s Day usually gets a bad wrap because it’s deemed a “Hallmark holiday, ” but after being with my husband for over a decade, I still enjoy exchanging mushy cards and doing something a little out of the norm. To me, Valentine’s Day is an extra day in the year that I get to remind my friends and family how much they mean to me.

Usually, the hubs and I would opt for a quiet steak and lobster dinner at home, but this year The Capital Grille in Downtown Seattle reached out and asked if I would like to come in for an early Valentine’s Day celebration on them. And who am I to pass up an amazing steak dinner, that I don’t have to prepare myself?!?!

So we threw on our Sunday best; A.K.A – black skinny jeans, button-ups and boots and headed to a seriously epic dinner at The Capital Grille in Downtown Seattle.

Adam and I have actually dined at this location a couple times, and what I love the most is the feeling you get when you walk in the front door.  From the dark wood panels, large canvas portraits, immaculately set tables and warm lighting it feels as though you are about to embark on a one of a kind experience that embodies the time-honored traditions of a classic American steakhouse. 

After selecting our drinks, we browsed Capital Grille’s Winter Dinner Menu and everything sounded so delicious!  

We then placed our order and went to town on our drinks. Adam had his usual Glenlivet on the rocks, and I asked for a fruity mocktail. My drink wasn’t on the menu, it was something delightful that the bartender whipped up. I believe it was a tropical mix of pineapple and orange juice, with a splash of soda… but that’s just my best guess. 

After a few moments, our first appetizer arrived; Prawn Cocktail – Jumbo prawns served with a spicy, house-made cocktail sauce, $19.

They were steamed perfectly, not chewy at all; just nice, tender and plump. The cocktail sauce had the right amount of spice and combined with the shrimp it was a splendid way to begin our meal. It may be hard to tell from this photo, but the shrimp were quite large. I had 3 and already began to feel a bit full.

Next, we split the Kale Salad – kale, almonds and peanut vinaigrette, $13. (Side note, this photo is of a half portion)

 

I don’t know about you guys, but whenever I go to a steakhouse, I always feel guilty if I don’t order at least one dish with a vegetable that is not sauteed in butter or covered in cheese. So this kale salad was actually perfect; nice, light and crisp. The peanut vinaigrette wasn’t overpowering so that you could still taste the kale and almonds. After polishing off our salads, our main entrees quickly followed. I went with the Evening Special – 10oz Fillet Mignon, 2 butter poached lobster tails and a baked potato, $78.

If you like a flavorful and juicy steak but one that is so tender you can pretty much cut it with a butter knife, then this filet mignon is for you. The meat was perfectly seasoned and melted in my mouth. The two lobster tails were sweet, buttery and delicious.

Adam, who likes his steaks with a bit more marbling went for the 22oz Bone-in Ribeye – bone-in ribeye with baked potato, $62. 

I took a few bites of his steak so I can vouch that it was delicious. There was so much flavor in this cut of meat. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I totally ate most of the fatty parts so that I could really enjoy the richness of the steak.

We also split a side of The Chef’s Lobster Mac’N’Cheese, $18.

It was everything I could ever want in mac and cheese; cheesy, creamy and filled with chunks of sweet lobster. I swear, I honestly believed I could not fit one more ounce of food in my stomach but then the dessert menu arrived, and somehow a magical void appeared that was just enough room to fit a few more bites of something sweet. 

I could not pass up the cheesecake. Living in NYC for almost 10 years made me a die-hard cheesecake fan. When I first moved here, The Confectional in Pike Place Market was life 🙂 So when I saw The Capital Grille Cheesecake – Brûlée Style with Fresh Berries, $11,  I knew dessert was meant to be.

This cheesecake was probably one of the best I’ve tasted, ever! It was velvety smooth, had just the right amount of sweetness and the graham cracker crust was nice and buttery. The crust did not crumble apart when you cut into it with your fork, which made the perfect bite every time. Oh, and the hint of caramel from the burnt sugar made the dessert even more addictive.

I could not have asked for a better early Valentine’s Day dinner than the one we had at The Capital Grille in Downtown Seattle. We spent two lovely hours eating great food, having pleasant conversations and enjoying each others company.

While there are many steakhouses in Seattle, I genuinely feel The Capital Grille is one of those tried and true classics that you can always count on for a fantastic meal.

Cheers,

Sonya

Neighborhood: Downtown

Price: $$$$