Description: Located in the Iconic Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville, Capitol Grill is one of the finest dining establishments in Nashville. Chef Tyler Brown has brought his own twist on southern cuisine to the Capitol Grill and the emphasis has been placed on using local produce. So much so, that they have their own garden at the Farm at Glen Leven where they grow not only the finest heritage vegetables but also beef. With an eye toward becoming the best sustainable restaurant in Tennessee and ultimately the country they continue to shift the menu to use what is freshest.
We were privileged to meet not only Tyler but others who introduced us to their wonderful produce. They brought some of the winter vegetables out to the table so we could actually see them before they are prepared. It was very eye opening.
The atmosphere at the Capitol grill is best described as clubby. It has mahogany on the walls and of course crispy white linens. There are historic pictures of Nashville. It is hard for me to grade service since we were a large group and that will of course affect everything. Everything was very professional. It is the sort of restaurant you go to for special events or to impress a client. Quiet, subdued and very classy is how I would describe it.
The food was quite amazing as well. The presentation was first class. The first course was the Vidalia Onion Bisque. The waiter poured it into the bowl individually over top of the chive, bacon and grilled Brie. Not only was it delicious but that presentation impressed even me and I am not impressed easily. The bread basket has a variety of different breads, rolls and muffins, every one of them worth indulging in. One had pepitas on it and one was a corn muffin.
This was followed by a sour apple salad with green apples, radishes from Glen Leven, shaved fennel and a sweet potato cracker all over field greens. It was just enough to whet our appetites for our entrees.
The Capitol Grill offers a fine selection of both meat and fish. They are known for the quality of their beef so I opted for a Painted Hills Beef tenderloin. It was served with potatoes boulangerie and sour wood braised carrots. The carrots were served whole and came in a variety of colors, it was a very attractive presentation. The beef was so tender and very flavorful, it was however, not medium well as a matter of fact, it bordered on medium rare. I ate the edges but was unable to eat the center, it was just too rare. I would have sent it back if I had seen our waiter but I did not. I was the only one in our group who had a doneness issue, everyone else’s was fine.
For dessert, we had the Trio which included bread pudding, coconut cake and chocolate hazelnut cobbler. What can I say, I was actually glad I hadn’t eaten all of my entrée, it left more room for this amazing trio of flavors. My favorite, the coconut cake, I am a big coconut fan and this was just a delight.
They have an outstanding wine list and of course, mixed drinks are available from the bar. This certainly was fine dining and the fact that they are aiming to be sustainable just adds to the total package. I would return here again in a heartbeat, especially for a special night out with my husband.
Close