I think it’s so important for Americans today to understand exactly what they’re eating. With nearly 35 percent of Americans falling into the “obese” category and another 32.7 percent classified as “overweight,” our society needs to take a proactive approach to encourage healthier living.
Do you think a multi-chain restaurant’s nutritional information should be available?
I will often email a large restaurant requesting nutritional information before going out to dinner. I do this not because I think they’ll give it to me, but to (on some small level) communicate that there are Americans who want this information.
Most of the time I get the obligatory “Our chefs can accommodate special requests” email, but every once in a while I get lucky. After emailing The Capital Grille, I received three PDF attachments with lunch, dinner, dessert and drink menu nutritional information. Jackpot!
The Capital Grille
I immediately responded enthusiastically, thanking the man who followed up with me so quickly. Terrible nutrition facts to not deter me from going to a restaurant. They help me examine then menu and understand what I will be eating when I select specific menu items.
Many of the items on The Capital Grille’s menu fit easily into a healthy-living plan, and others can too since healthy living, in my opinion, encourages moderation and indulging once in a while.
Since The Captial Grill does not post their nutritional information online, I thought you might enjoy looking through highlights of The Capital Grille’s nutritional information:
Appetizers
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, 360
- Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella with Vine Ripe Tomatoes, 680
- Smoked Salmon, 520
- Lobster and Dungeness Crab Cakes (with tartar sauce), 420
- Shrimp Cocktail, 120 (with cocktail sauce add 80 calories)
- Pan-Fried Calamari with Hot Cherry Peppers, 1,200
- Cold Shellfish Platter, 340 (with sauces add 80 calories)
- Grand Plateau, 780 (with cocktail sauce add 80 calories, with mustard sauce add 240 calories, with crab butter add 390 calories)
Soups and Salads
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Cup of Clam Chowder, 280
- French Onion Soup, 530
- Caesar Appetizer Salad, 790
- Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing, 420
- Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil with Balsamic Chopped Salad, 410
- Field Greens, Fresh Herbs, Tomatoes, 200
- Wedge Salad, 915
Chef’s Suggestions
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Seared Tenderloin with Butter Poached Lobster, 840
- Cedar Planked Salmon with Tomato Fennel Relish, 520
- Bone-In Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin, 980
- 10 oz Sliced Filet Mignon with Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms, 440
- Porcini Rubbed Delmonico, 1,400
Main Courses
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Dry Aged Sirloin Steak (14 oz), 670
- Dry Aged Porterhouse Steak (24 oz), 980
- Dry Aged Steak au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream, 940
- Filet Mignon (10 oz), 370
- Filet Oscar with Dungeness Crab, 640
- Delmonico Steak, 1,070
- Veal Chop with Roquefort Butter, 690 (without butter, subtract 230 calories)
- Roasted Chicken, 1,500
- Double Cut Lamb Rib Chops (4), 860
Seafood
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Broiled Fresh Lobster (per lb), 120 (with 2 oz. butter add 420 calories)
- Grilled Swordfish with Lemon Shallot Relish, 530
- Sesame Seared Tuna (Tuna, 290, Gingered Rice, 160, Wasabi Oil, 160)
- Citrus Glazed King Salmon, 440
Side Offerings
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Fresh Asparagus (12 spears), 40 (with Hollandaise Sauce add 200 calories)
- Roasted Mushrooms, 300
- Sam’s Mashed Potatoes, 690
- Lyonnaise Potatoes, 930
- Au Gratin Potatoes, 1,590
- Sweet Onion Rings, 900
- Fresh Creamed Spinach, 720
- Parmesan Truffle Fries, 950
- Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese, 1,560
Desserts
(Menu Item, Calories)
- Double Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich, 1,040
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, 1,310
- Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake, 740
- Key Lime Pie, 920
- Cheesecake with Fresh Seasonal Berries, 820
- Coconut Cream Pie, 1,020
- Classic Crème Brulee, 400
- Fresh Berries in Vanilla Cream, 200
- Fresh Strawberries Capital Grille, 290
- The Capital Grille Handcrafted Ice Cream, 320
- Chef’s Seasonal Fruit Sorbet, 160
***
Phew! That was a lot of copy and pasting!
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Thanks for sharing this! Last time I was there I had the 10 oz Sliced Filet Mignon with Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms….I’m glad I made a smart choice without knowing the facts! However, their au gratin potatoes are AMAZING..and not so healthy. But they are meant to be shared 🙂
Enjoy your meal if you’re going there!
Awesome! I totally think that resturaunts SHOULD post their nutrition facts! Looking at the menu above (not that YOU asked…haha) here is what I would totally get either the seasame tuna or the swordfish! YUM!!!
yummmmm
Thanks for posting! Just had a baby and trying to be healthy and loose some weight! ;)))
SO interesting!! Thanks for posting, and what a good idea for future restaurant visits!
thanks so much =) good to know that some places will email you their info if it’s not already posted…
That is great that you email places. A lot of times when I go out to eat I just want to eat and not really know, but it is so good to be ABLE to know so you can make better decisions. Just knowing that a restaurant will provide that info is great. Thanks for sharing this.
Good work on the nutritional stats! I ALWAYS look at the menu before going to a restaurant and if they have nutrit stats, eve better! I’m going to Ruth Chris for dinner tmw night and I’m slightly worried. I heard they have really good food but we know what that means..pack on the calories. I know the healthiest choices are going to be seafood which I love so that’s not a huge problem. Plus I’ll be “special ordering” per my usual requests like “sauce on the side” or “no butter on anything”, “please ask the chef to go light on the oil” etc.
But ya, I totally agree that restaurants SHOULD post nutritional stats. Some people care! Actually, I feel like more and more people care these days which is good so restaurants should not only post stats but realize that they should “improve” their dishes to make them healthier once they know how fatty some of their dishes are.
I’m from Texas and while agree that restaurants should notifying their patrons on what is contained in their products, finding a restaurant bold enough to do so can be scarce. Well, imagine my surprise, after accepting a position in New York City, to find out that all restaurants, apparently, are required to post this information directly on their menus. I just visited Capital Grill for Valentine’s Day as a matter of fact and all calorie contents were listed directly on the menu. Of course it did not deter me or my wife from sampling some sinful treats, but at least we felt guilty afterwards… lol. By the way, the lobster and crab cakes are to die for!!!!
Thank you soooo much for posting this! I loved the crab cakes and now I don’t feel so guilty.
thanks for your info, i like crab, hmmm yummy
Thank you SO much it is so difficult to find nutrition facts for fine dining. I will be having the Filet and Asparagus tonight!:)
Do you know if those calories are per serving or per portion? I have been to Capital Grille (in Dallas), and their portions are HUGE!
I believe they are por portion, but I could be wrong.
Peeeeer portion. Gosh!
Thank you so much for posting this! It gave me a ballpark for estimating my Points!
Thank you for posting this information. I always go to Capital Grill so I am saving this link for future reference
Thanks for posting this – very helpful!
How can the wedge salad be 915 calories? This other site lists it at a much lower 320…
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/nutrition-facts-calories/the-capital-grille
Has anyone been to a NYC Capital Grille recently and can confirm the amount?
Looks like theres a pdf up now http://media.thecapitalgrille.com/en_us/images/marketing/117994%20Capital%20Grille%20sp6_15_01_LR.PDF