The Capital Grille
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Recently Katie and I were graciously invited to a media/blogger event at Capital Grille in Costa Mesa. They were promoting their summer wine event and sampling some of their food to be paired with the wines. As an added bonus we were also treated to a speech by Master Sommelier George Miliotes.
The Generous Pour at Capital Grille is just that, generous. For $25 with dinner, you are invited to try as many of the nine wines featured in George Miliote's summertime collection as you would like. The list includes three white wines, three California Reds, two international reds, and one port. I am not too much of a wine guy, but even I know that this is a great deal.
Above are the three wines that stood out for us. Katie really enjoyed the Conte Brandolini, Vistorta Merlot, 2006. She felt that this Italian wine was rich with flavor, while still maintaining a refreshing tone. The second wine of note for us was the Byron Pinot Noir, 2009. This smooth wine from Santa Barbra had an underscore of fruit hidden within it, that made it less bitter to my novice wine tasting mouth. My favorite wine of the night was not a surprise to me, it was the port selection, RL Buller's, The Portly Gentleman. This port from down under was a perfect compliment to the chocolate truffles that you will see in a bit.
The wines were great, and the food was really good also. Here is a quick shot of the Miniature Lamb Lollipops. The flavor on these was very good, and there was no hint of gaminess. I could have eaten about ten of these real quick, but I was trying to be considerate of others. Maybe I am growing up a little? My Mom would be so proud!
Another station featured Sliced Kona Crusted Sirloin. This meat, cooked to medium rare perfection, almost melted in my mouth. I could not resist the urge to have three helpings of this. Red meat is the specialty of Capital Grille, and after trying this I can see why.
Katie's favorite portion of the food was the cheese plate and cold appetizers. The selection of cheeses were all really good, but the best cold appetizer was the Smoked Norwegian Salmon on Onion Pita Chips. This salmon was light and delicate, and disappeared quickly.
Here are the Truffles that went so perfectly with the port. These round balls of decadence were the perfect end to a very satisfying night at the Capital Grille.
As good as the food and wine were, the real treat of the evening for me was to be in the company of some the best bloggers and writers that this county has to offer. Starting off with our hostess's for the evening Anita Lau and Holly Wong. Thanks for the invite ladies, we look forward to many more food adventures with you. It was also a pleasure meeting and talking food with Dave Lieberman. He gave us some great tips that we will definitely go to in the future. I will also find a great place in Aliso Viejo for you Dave! It was also great meeting up with Michelle, who has so much knowledge about food trucks.
Lastly, a special thanks to the Capital Grille and Shannon Jones. The food and wine were wonderful. We have had the pleasure of meeting Master Sommelier George Miliotes once before at another event, and both meetings were a real treat. This man knows his wines, and his enthusiasm for them can even make a new wine drinker like myself, enthusiastic for the grape.
The Generous Pour is for a limited time only, so do not delay. For more information on the Generous Pour, click here: http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/videos/TheGenerousPour/main.asp
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