Capital Grill and Bar, Upscale Bar Grub

The wealth of Winnipeg's food scene is impressive. As I approach the two year anniversary of this blog I still am finding both new restaurants to the city and ones I have missed on my first run through. Capital Grill and Bar was one such place, brought to my attention by a fellow foodie colleague.

Capital Grill and Bar is located in picturesque Charleswood nestled in the wonderful forested backdrop near Assiniboine Park. The neon glow of the signage sticks out as a shining beacon for hungry folk in the area beckoning them forward. Its namesake speaks to the type of cuisine the chef offers and indeed the menu is filled with local and international brews mixed in with a bevy of grilled appetizers and main entrees. And yet if one were to stop at the initial glance they would miss some of the uniqueness of the menu. Amongst the steaks and onion rings are delectable crab cakes or pan roasted salmon; all pointing to a slightly more upscale bar experience.

Settling down to dinner me and my dining companion started with a Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup. I shamelessly had to Google what a Kabocha Squash was at first (its in the family of pumpkin) but quickly learned that it made a mean soup. Indeed the buttery soup had a wonderfully thick texture while maintaining the sweetness and tartness of the pureed squash. A load of fresh pepper and fresh feta help round the soup. A good starter.

I am quite fond of short ribs and could not resist the Short Rib Poutine on the menu. The bed of potatoes were nicely fried and topped with a loving blend of savoury short rib and dressed with shaved parmesan and fresh basil. The star of the dish was definitely the short rib, slow cooked until perfectly tender and falling apart with every bite and mixed in with a luxuriously rich gravy. Unfortunately I found the fries average and wholly under seasoned making the entire dish a tad bland and difficult to finish.

Dungeness Crab Cake is not a usual item found on a "bar and grill" type of restaurant and while we were a bit apprehensive about ordering the upscale item, our knowledgeable server was able to convince us of doing so. And thankfully we did as the large crab cake was filled to the brim with crab chunks and spices in a crispy flour coating all deep fried to perfection. Along with it is a shaved fennel salad which does well to provide a nice crunchiness to the dish.

Whewf we were getting full by now but we continued forward with our mains. Linguini Pasta with Chicken Breast was a nice addition to the meal with al dente pasta tossed with fennel and arugula in a light olive oil based vinaigrette and topped with a grilled chicken breast. Overall a bit lacking in flavour, the fennel slices were the best part of the dish giving it a crunchy and fresh alternative to the heavy and carb-loaded pasta. The chicken was well cooked but altogether average in favour.

I loved my Pan Roasted Salmon. Served on a bed of ricotta gnocchi with roasted cherry tomatoes and dressed with a basil pesto like sauce, this salmon dish was a delightful combination of umami. The large piece of salmon had a thick crisp crust and a nice medium in the middle worked well with the bold basil dressing and the pop of cherry freshness. I found the Gnocchi a bit overpowered by the salmon here but it did give a starchy compliment to the fatty salmon.

Capital Grill and Bar serves upscale bar food in the middle of Charleswood. It takes a concept of the local bar and grill and one ups it by offering nuanced and at times unique combinations that one would not expect. And while some of the items were under seasoned the food altogether was tasty, elegantly served and appropriately priced. Worth a visit.