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| Wednesday, August 27, 2003 6:59 AM | ||
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Mickey Skrede was even less satisfied with the wine than we were. The general manager of the new Capitol Chophouse, which debuted June 26, had opened the bottle of 1998 King Estate Pinot Noir ($28) with flourish. A nice pinot would complement the Chilean sea bass sugar-seared with tequila-lime sauce ($20.95) and, especially, the wild Alaskan king salmon, which had been prepared with pinot reduction sauce ($21.95), we thought. Skrede, formerly of both the Opera House and L'Etoile, discretely sniffed the cork as we marveled at the Oregonian's brownish hue, as if it were a gracefully aging Bordeaux. Unfortunately, it wasn't. "I'll get another bottle," he volunteered without being asked. Moments later, he was back with another version with brighter fruit and lighter hue. We didn't recoil, but weren't enthused. This troubled Skrede. The Capitol Chophouse does nothing halfway, and its menu prices reflect that lack of compromise. And everything is a la carte. The Hilton hotel space, formerly occupied by 9 East Brasserie, has been nicely redone and the service is attentive to a fault.
Chef Darcy Sonsalla, former Opera House sous chef, is spot on with everything from entree concept to finish. Quality, creativity and delivery all shine. But there was still the King Estate, which lay flaccid and wilting in our glasses. Skrede appeared again, another bottle and fresh stemware in hand. "You didn't seem pleased with the King Estate," Skrede said. "Please try this. It's one of our most popular wines." The new wine, a 2000 Barbara d'Asti "in Pectore" ($32), had a brighter fruit, much like we had expected from our pinot. There was a fine finish to the Italian wine, as well as more substance than we would have expected. Our appreciative nods brought a smile to Skrede's face and he slipped away with the offending Oregonian. It's hard to decide which is the Capitol Chophouse's greater asset, its service or its food. Both are four-star quality. Steaks run from a 5-ounce beef tenderloin ($20.95) to a 14-ounce veal rib chop ($36.50). All meat is aged 28 days to ensure maximum tenderness. Other entrees include a 12-ounce Colorado lamb chop ($32.95) and a 16-ounce Iowa pork chop ($23.) We sipped our newly appreciated wine with herbed bread, served with a trio of tasty tapenades: tomato-basil butter, pesto-cream cheese sauce and unsalted Wisconsin butter. The Chophouse salads ($6.95) were blends of chopped iceberg lettuce, egg, bacon, blue cheese and tomato pressed into a circular mold and served on a plate. They were delicious, but we discovered one would have been enough to share. The drama with the wine was balanced by the rapidity of service. Our entrees arrived quickly, both surprising and delighting us. The salmon, line-caught in Alaskan waters, was a steak cut and served over a bed of fresh farmers' market vegetables. Both had been prepared in pinot reduction sauce with a touch of beef broth and port wine butter. The fish was flavorful and full-bodied, lacking the distinct and often overwhelming salmon taste. The farm-raised Chilean sea bass was superb. The 3-inch cut had been expertly sauteed in the tequila and lime sauce after the sugar searing counterbalanced the liquor's tart flavors. The fish was succulent and tender, its sauce surprising. Sea bass in the right kitchen can be a marvelous canvas for the chef's art. This one proved a masterpiece. We treated ourselves to a shared chocolate peanut butter bombe ($6.95,) a scoop of peanut butter and cream cheese mousse coated in a shell of dark chocolate, ringed with banana caramel and served with a chocolate "cigarette." Starbucks coffee ($1.75) rounded out the meal. We noticed after dinner that neither of us ordered steak, presumably the restaurant's raison d'etre. That, of course, was merely an excuse to return.
Published: 12:25 AM 8/08/03
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