At The Capital Grille steakhouse, seafood rules: Seattle

By steak Tuesday August 11, 2009

SEATTLEPI.com By LESLIE KELLY May 1, 2008

It was prime time on a Friday night at The Capital Grille — Seattle’s newest downtown steakhouse — and the place was slammed. Business types loosened up with martinis, shaken tableside. Well-dressed couples clinked flutes of bubbly at tables decorated in confetti as thick slabs of beef were delivered around the sprawling 235-seat dining room.

This Grille is only the second West Coast outpost of a sizzling chain that first fired up in Providence, R.I. The chain was purchased in 2007 by Darden Restaurants, the Orlando-based giant behind Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze and Olive Garden, among others.

That should not suggest The Capital Grille has become the Olive Garden of steakhouses. There are no all-you-can-eat breadsticks and bottomless bowls of salad. This is a high-end restaurant working hard to create a luxe, clubby feel. The warmly lit place is dolled up in dark colors and rich textures; request a booth for one of the comfiest perches in the city.