Restaurant review: Best value in Naples? JLB investigates a fancy steakhouse's $28 deal
One of JLB’s highest priorities when recommending restaurants is the value factor. Does a restaurant's pricing correlate with the overall experience and quality?
In Naples, spending $300 on disappointing mediocre dinners for two is, sadly, way too frequent.
But when a well-respected downtown restaurant owner says the best deal in town is Capital Grille’s lunch, my interest is piqued and warrants investigating.
My companion du jour was longtime resident Valerie Miller, whose name may ring a bell because, for the past 17 years, she’s been the author/publisher of the annual Naples Restaurant Guide, our local Zagat-like directory sans the sarcastic quotes.
Shameless plug: The new edition arrives at Paper Merchant and Bruno’s on Third Street South (the most fun, super high-end store in town if you've never been) in November.
She's dined everywhere in town but seldom visits Capital Grille.
It was JLB’s first visit to the Naples location. I’ve not been inclined to go despite enjoying the Darden-owned chain’s sisters in New York City and Washington, D.C., seen as the backdrop for scenes in "Special Ops: Lioness" ― a must-watch ― and "Jason Bourne" (2016).
If JLB opened a hospitality college in Southwest Florida, one of her first hires as a distinguished professor would be Aldo Mazreku, Capital’s captain of gracious service who lends professional polish and old-school panache to a simple lunch outing between friends.
Aldo doesn’t hover.
Instead, with a sense of anticipation and intuition, he miraculously appears seconds before we even think of summoning him with various requests.
Since Friday was my day off, why not indulge in cocktails, request number one?
Aldo made my icy martini an experience, allowing me to video his masterful shaking and spill-proof pouring technique from the comfort of our spacious booth.
The Bloody Mary was mixed the way I like it ― transparent. JLB is a sucker for classics and isn’t a fan of extraneous garnishes like shrimp when a wedge of lemon and olives (not blue cheese) or celery suffice.
What's the deal?
The restaurant’s lunch “Plates” menu offers three choices of appetizers and entrees and runs Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's currently $28.
I think it's the best value in town.
We both selected Caesar salads, mine with anchovies (request number two) layered on top. Other options include a fluffy field greens salad which looked beautifully bright and colorful when delivered to another table and a cup of clam chowder.
When Aldo asked how madame would like her beef tenderloin prepared, he subtly suggested a longer cooking time than my “pink, but no blood” reply.
I should’ve heeded his spidey sense advice.
One of JLB’s continual gripes about Naples restaurants is servers who drop your order on the table and either don't return until it's time to pay ― or worse, and perhaps more commonly ― return instantly to ask how things are before anyone has even taken a bite.
That is not Aldo: thinking he spotted me diving into the rosemary-flecked fries following the first few bites from the meat's end slice, which was too red in the center for my taste.
Request number three: He whisked away my plate for another go in the kitchen, allowing me to nibble Valerie’s roasted chicken with mushroom atop Parmesan risotto.
Her homerun of a dish as prepared by Executive Chef Partner Jeremy Houston was so satisfying that I questioned my order.
When Aldo returned with round two of the beef, it was plated differently with somewhat less sauce and still hot fries now in a shiny stainless-steel cup.
The tenderloin was now perfect. I cleaned my plate. The fries, too.
As for dessert?
We skipped it not because it incurs spending another $12 or $13, but we were full. Portions are substantial enough that I also passed on dinner.
More on the next Capital Grille: New fine-dining steak, seafood restaurant coming to Bell Tower in Fort Myers in 2024
Related: Restaurants: 5 deals, 1 concept change, foodie events & celebrations
What to know if you go - and you should
Where: 9005 Mercato Drive, North Naples
Call: 239-254-0640
Website: thecapitalgrille.com
Price: Four additional lunch entrees under $28 encompass handhelds and salads. Specialty cocktails are $15 to $18. The Bloody Mary was $12. Wines by the glass: $11 for prosecco to $33 for an Orin Swift Napa Cab.
Dress code: From its website, “no athletic shorts, uncovered sports bras or other bra-style tops, excessively revealing clothing or exposed undergarments, or any clothing with offensive language or images. Men’s shirts must have sleeves. Athletic leggings, joggers or sweatpants are welcome in the lounge,” where a woman was wearing a pickleball skirt that was longer than several barely there minis spotted at The Ritz-Carlton during JLB’s Dusk review.
Reservations: Not required for September’s lunch, but it is always prudent to make one if you don't want to wait.
Valet: That section of Mercato is a PITA for parking and busy year-round. The service is free if parking proves difficult. Tip accordingly.
Etc.: The quiet dining room (at lunch anyway) is good for conversation, ladies who lunch, business lunches, first dates. The bar was doing a brisk business early afternoon. A second Southwest Florida location is scheduled to open in late summer 2024 at Bell Tower in south Fort Myers.
Jean Le Boeuf is the brand under which our restaurant critics have written for more than 40 years. JLB usually goes unrecognized and always pays for her meals. This article came from staff writer Diana Biederman. Follow our critics on Facebook via BiteIntoSWFL and Instagram. To connect: diana.biederman@naplesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Review: At $28, is Naples best value found at a fancy steakhouse?
