A Generous Pour Elite Event At The Capital Grille

I’m late to the party/​love-​fest, but better late than never, I always say!
Thank you to The Capital Grille and Annette for this smashing success! I’ve always thought I knew how to pair wine with food, but this event gave me some great pointers.
My favorite beverages were the sparkling Lunetta Rose we received upon arrival and the Villa Mt. Eden Pinot Noir. My favorite nibbles were… well…everything! Especially the beef tenderloin sandwich, the magnificent mushroom bisque and the various cheeses and veggies beautifully presented.
The staff was amazing — knowledgeable, always present but not hovering — especially John, the manager, and Kristine, who manned the dessert and dessert wine table. I enjoyed the combination of table arrangements which let you relax in a booth (but that may get boring?) or wind your way around tall tables without chairs to meet, greet and eat (and drink, of course).
This event made me feel special — we dressed up, as almost required by the venue (shorts? really?). It also made me want to return for dinner!

I’m still a little dreamy about the wining and dining. This was by far the best event I have been to with Unilocal.
Although I’d heard of the Capital grille, I had not been there. I think the name threw me. We were greeted at the door with a glass of wine and a lobster and crab slider. The place was filled with delicious smells and luxurious table settings.
The Capital Grille really knows how to impress. The manager showed up around and the private dining rooms are beautiful. We sat near the dessert table and noticed that the chef came out and removed and replaced several items. They just weren’t perfect and he wanted them PERFECT. We’ll be back here soon.

Another ridiculously awesome event coordinated by Annette!
I have never set foot inside of Somerset, but this event was a very compelling reason to pop that cherry. The wines were great and a) I am not really a wine guy (maybe I should reconsider) and b) I did not even have time to try them all. I love that they greeted us with sparkling wine. I love the little taster servings, as they let me try a little bit of everything without having to waste anything. Lobster/​crabcake and regular sliders, crème brule, chocolate tarts,. .. it was all good!
I cannot wait for the next event!

This was my first Elite event and WOW WAS IT A GOOD ONE! I didn’t know event reviewing protocol so I wrote about my thoughts in my Capital Grille review here:
Thanks again to The Capital Grille for having us! Filet mignon sliders for the win!

MMMMMMmmmmmmm — what can I say? This Unilocal Elite event was exceptional! The Capital Grille’s employees were so very wonderful and accommodatiing to all of us UnilocalERS! Upon entering we received a flute of sparkling rose’ wine from Nothern Italy — ohhhhhhhh it was like an explosion of different types of berries and a perfect way to begin the event! There were appetiziers galore and I did try to eat most of them, but alas could not! The wine, I don’t know how many different wines there were but I was able to try a few of them out.
The wine that was most spectacular though was the Cabernet Sauvignon –Ferrari-​Carano, Mountain Reserve, 2008. You could taste the bing cherries, dark chocolate, and flavors of licorice and black tea in it. I was so very happy that I was part of the Capital Grille’s event where this wine made its debut!
Congrats goes out to Annette for putting together this event and purchasing a new adobe!!! Since I am congratulating, I also want to thank the Capital Grille for being the perfect host/​hotesses and the Managing partner, John Kelly — wonderful event and thank you so very much for the gift bag. Very classy.
I felt like I was at the Acadamy Awards! The wine, appetizers, desserts were all wonderful. All I can say is: Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

I am so LATE posting this review, but I was so impressed that I need to Unilocal it. This event was impeccably carried out. From the generous pours of delicious wine, to the delectable bites, to the amazing service and the wonderful gift, everything was perfect. Oh, and the company couldn’t have been better — hubby and I had a great time hanging out with all you fabulous elites… Elite, but not elitist :)
Thanks Annette, for another fabulous event!

I’d never been here before due to the high prices but had heard plenty about it & always wanted to check it out so I was thrilled to be able to attend this event. The wines were wonderful, the place was so pretty & had such a rich feel with the dark wood & soft lighting that makes up the majority of the interior.
The event was great, I met some wonderful people, drank some very delicious wines & ate plenty of tasty food. The grilled veggies were really yummy as were the espresso chocolate tarts but the best item I had was the beef tenderloin slider! I am not normally a fan of big hunks of meat but they looked so good I had to try it & then I had another & honestly I could have eaten like 6 & made a meal out of them, seriously they were amazing!
Hats off to Unilocal & Capital Grille for a wonderful event & thanks for the quality bottle topper too. Thanks Annette for yet another lovely event :)

To me it’s a little strange to find a «high end» restaurant in a shopping mall, but at the Capital Grille (CG), it works.
Aside from the great wine selections (as long as I live I’ll never understand the intricacies of wine), this Generous Pour event offered a great selection of sample to entice us to come back to the Capital Grille again.
Top off good the good food with excellent service and personalized service from the CG staff and you have a wonderful Sunday afternoon event.

This event at The Capital Grille was generous with delicious pours, delectable eats, and amazing service compliments of the staff of The Capital Grille.
I’d never been to The Capital Grille before, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed. Much of our food offerings were from the Bar Menu — the miniature lobster & crab burgers offered at the door being my absolute favorite. There was an amazing spread of cheeses and grilled vegetables. The flourless chocolate espresso cake and crème brûlée options for dessert did not disappoint either. Besides the food, it’s obvious that there are two things The Capital Grille takes very seriously — wine and exceptional service.
If you are looking to expand your wine palate in addition to a great meal at a restaurant where you’ll be treated better than you’re used to, I’d encourage you to check out the Generous Pour event at The Capital Grille this summer. For a flat price, you can have a tasting of the 9 wines we experienced added to your meal.
Thanks to Annette for a truly classy summer afternoon event — Can’t wait for the next one.

The Capital Grille Event exceeded my expectations on several accounts!
John the Manager, was very hospitable & loved the fact he was actually reaching a possible clientele, that may have been new to the CG.
(he was correct, as plenty were first time guests)
The Staff !
EXTRAORDINARY !
Kristine in the Sweet Wine & dessert section, gave me her business card & was so Knowledgeable on several aspects of the wine… even the labeling
The Staff #2
The Servers & Management & the endless trays of Filet Mignon Sandwiches, Steak Tartare, Smoked Chicken & others, they stopped by multiple times & made plenty of return trips.
The Décor which I loved all of the Mahogany & Portraits of Detroit icons pre-​1950.
Anthony the very Energetic & Friendly bartender, was very nice & provided me with a 8 ounce bottle of Coke on the rocks!
& lets end with Dessert
The Crème Brulee was beyond words, crust PERFECT, level of creaminess, worthy of stopping in again just for that alone…
Annette, Jessica & Mr Photographer, thank You for caring so well for your elites…

Capital Grille is a swanky joint! This Sunday afternoon affair was just perfect.
Impeccable service, tasty bites of rich cheeses and desserts, and so much wine I didn’t get even to sip all the varieties offered and still left with a buzz. And as always, it’s a pleasure to mingle with Elite friends both new and old.
Thanks Annette, and Unilocal,for another top notch elite event! They just keep getting better! :)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — Unilocal sure does know how to treat their Elite!
This time, we had a fabulous time at the fancy and reputable Capital Grille in Troy at Somerset Mall.
After checking in, we started things with a rose wine — I love entering events with glasses of wine handed to me! There were butler passed hors’ dourves throughout the evening, as well as 4 stations with a variety of red and white wines. «A Generous Pour» is apparently an event being run at The Capital Grille for a limited time, so there were cards with the descriptions of each wine and origin info. I used that as my guide throughout the event.
The food was delicious, the lavish cheese/​veggie spread was phenomenal.
The staff was friendly and knowledgable. I appreciated the suggestions and personal recommendations from the waitstaff.
I had an excellent time with my party and as always, it was great to see familiar faces and chat it up a bit.
Annette, the Unilocal staff and The Capital Grille showed us an excellent time that I will definintely remember. :-)

A fancy pants event for fancy pants people!
I was lucky enough to be part of the group of Elite Unilocalers that got to don their fancy pants (and fancy dresses) for the Generous Pour event at The Capital Grille. We were lucky to experience a number of wines and some perfectly paired eats. Upon entering, we were greeted by a light rose wine and a tasty lobster/​crab slider. Inside the restaurant, we had our choice of four different wine stations to visit, a cheese/​app table and a dessert station. Servers were also walking around passing out amazing bites, such as beef tenderloin sliders and beef tartare.
I was able to try six of the wines. I really loved the Slovenian white and the smooth pinot. The selection of wines was absolutely superb. And the flights were generous… so generous that we did end up exiting through the mall feeling a nice afternoon wine buzz. (we relieved that by doing some shopping. Eek! Our poor wallets!)
Only regret: not trying more of the wines. Oh, and I wish I saw those cute bottles of coke that Allison mentioned.
Bravo Annette! Thanks for another great Unilocal event! And thanks to the Capitol Grille for being such gracious and generous hosts. Before this event, I have never been to the Capitol Grille — kinda writing it off as another chain, luckily this gal has changed her mind.
Can’t wait ’til my next fancy-​pants visit here! Until then, it’ll just be beef tenderloin wishes and red wine dreams.

What a wonderful event! Upon arriving, it’s apparent the Capital Grille is a comteporary restaurant with classic style. Beautiful décor and lighting showcasing the wine lockers, lavish private meeting rooms and caverous hallways; though Capital Grille is located on the first floor of Somerset Mall.
Greeted by wonderful staff with a glass of Lunetta blush; the event was off to a good start. I rated four stars for the food, atmophere, service and quality. Only downside was how bloody hot it was in the Capital Grille and the selection of wines. I am a wine lover; but I am not an expert. I believe we tasted 7 of the wines available. (I couldn’t find the other 2).

The Chardonnay wasn’t cold enough and the the server gave me a spiel about how whites aren’t supposed to be served ice cold and the second white was served room temp. The higher temp didn’t help the palatabilty of either of them. The Bordueax was good and very strong. That wine is more of a meal in itself and if you don’t like most Bordueax, it’s not for you. The sweet pineapple of the Kona was expertly paired with the dessert table. The Russian River Pinot Noir was middle of the road red; not too strong, not too weak. The food pairings were amazing. The steak sandwiches were our favorite.
I found a well-​dressed young man to chat with at the host stand. I asked to see their full wine list and to explain the wine lockers. I was surprised by the wine list. More so for what was missing: No New Zealand or South African Sauv Blancs, No Montepulcianos, and No Nero D’Avola. They are on my personal fav list, and seems to be popular with friends and family, but we are willing to try the expert recommendations at a future visit.
There was a nice menu in our gift bags. Every morsal sampled was expertly executed and left us wanting to sample more of Chef’s creations. We will definitely be back.

Capital Grille sure knows how to make Eliters truly feel elite. Not only did we get the entire restaurant to ourselves, but we got to partake in very ‘generous pours’ of an elite selection of nine boutique wines.
How do I pick a favorite? The Slovenian white, or the Château Du Pin from the Bordeaux region of France? Both! The servers were extremely knowledgeable about the wines, especially Steve.
And the food spread? Unbelievably good. Not only was there an endless supply of cheeses and veggies on the buffet, but pass around food like the sliders and steak tartare (I did not partake, but my +1 did) and the delicious mushroom soup! And then there was dessert. Flourless chocolate tarts and my favorite dessert, crème brûlée!
Yes, Unilocalers are foodies and Capital Grille proved to be a foodie lover’s haven. Thanks to the gracious and cordial manager John for having us. A big thanks to Annette for being a fabulous hostess with the mostess! I had a great time at my first hometown Elite event!

This event was perfect!
The Capital Grille was a gracious host — letting us in for a couple hours before they officially opened. Having the entire restaurant to just Unilocalers was great; there was plenty of space to walk around and visit all the different wine stations and visit with other Unilocalers.
Speaking of wine stations… whew! There was one when we first walked in, serving a great rose wine, which I totally loved. There were two red wine areas, a white wine area and a dessert wine station.
In addition to the wine itself, there was a nice spread of finger foods including cheese and fruit, plus, the amazing Capital Grille servers were quick to bring out hors d’oeuvres. My absolutely favorite hors d’œuvre was their top loin slider… holy shit, this little thing was incredible. I had two; I probably could have eaten about six of them.
Overall, I tried six of the wines, but pretty much stuck to the whites. After having plenty of wine, I felt a little woozy, but luckily the Capital staff brought out complimentary Fiji water. The servers were quick to ensure my water was never empty!
The bar also had adorable glass bottles of Coke. I wanted to save my empty bottles to take home but one of the servers didn’t want me to leave empty-​handed… so she sent me home with with two full bottles of Coke!
The servers at Capital Grille were awesome to us Unilocalers! This is definitely my second-​favorite Elite event after the beer dinner.
Thank you to Annette and The Capital Grille for putting together such a swanky event.

The ‘A Generous Pour’ event was just that; generous, with a lot of «pouring»!
Guests were welcomed with a crisp, bright rose wine to accompany a lobster claw miniature sandwich. The bread was perfectly buttered and slightly toasted, and the sweet lobster claw was delicious.
When we found a table, many other delightful hors d’oeuvres continued being presented to us. Fresh, well-​seasoned steak tartare crostini’s, dreamy creamy porcini mushroom bisque and beef tenderloin with Boursin cheese miniature sandwiches. In the centre of the room a beautiful fruit and cheese table had been set up, which held goodies such as nuts, grilled vegetables, an array of cheeses and crackers, chutney and fresh fruit.
Our table was in Christina’s section, near the ‘red wine’ station with its wonderful sommelier Jacob. Throughout the event we had the opportunity to sample many foreign and domestic wines, some of them exclusive to The Capital Grille.
The dessert station was a story in and of its own. My husband was a particular fan of the creamy crème brûlée, and I personally enjoyed the dark chocolate tarte very much. I prefer dry wines, therefore the sweet dessert wine was not my favorite — however it was right up my dates’ alley.
I want to thank Annette for yet another great event, and for giving us all the opportunity to dress up and look our Sunday Best! You have really outdone yourself with this one, I think everybody had an amazing time, I know we did!
Great food, great friends and great wine, I do not think there is a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.