Menu ReVamp: The Grill Room

By Lauren Rosalanko

I was thrilled to test out Chef Frank Ruta and and pastry chef Aggie Chin's newest culinary concepts for The Grill Room located at the Capella Hotel in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. This new menu features a wide array of seafood, salads, pastas, meats and vegetables to please every different type of taste. The cheese and charcuterie was a great way to start the evening, especially with the sweet, cranberry bread.

The passed canapés included some delicious Rappahannock oysters, that are featured on the menu with a mignonette sauce and assorted condiments. The oysters were fresh, juicy and fantastic as a starter! Soon to follow were another seafood taste, scallops with a piquillo coulis. Chef Ruta's unique choices got me to try something new. The piquillo coulis was something I had never had on scallops and the light spice made the seafood different from anything I had previously tried. 

The meat at the carving station was so warm, fresh and tender that it barely needed a knife to cut. The Grill Room's food and meat was of especially high quality. Chef Ruta's new menu includes meat such as suckling pig, duck, brisket pot roast and braised short rib with venison loin. I would be tempted to try them all!

It would be quite a mistake to not save room for dessert with Chef Aggie Chin's amazing sweets. There was a whole room dedicated simply to desserts and Chef Chin catered to any possible sweet tooth need. From apple or grapefruit tarts to dark chocolate tarts, truffles and cake pops to macarons, not a flavor was missed. The macarons even had an edible gold flake, adding for a small, but noticeable touch. I'm not sure if I can say that I had a favorite, but the grapefruit tart was one of the most unique I tasted. The caramelized sugar atop the grapefruit slice made for a sweet and citrus-filled dessert. The truffles that I sampled were made with dark chocolate which is my absolute favorite, especially the dark chocolate raspberry truffle! Lastly, the canelés were another unique choice not always on an American restaurant's menu. They were baked perfectly with a thick, caramel crust complemented by the soft, custard center. 

Overall, the new menu looks fantastic and Chef Ruta and Chin make for quite the pair. They are sure to infuse their creativity into the new menu at The Grill Room. The menu includes anything you might be looking for from meat to seafood to pasta and the dessert menu continues to offer variety. If you are looking for upscale dining with an interesting twist, add The Grill Room to your list!