when we first heard that we were going to the kaiser grille for mom and dad's anniversary dinner we weren't sure what to expect. it doesn't look like much from the outside. we drove around the back to park and it's valet only, which was weird, but makes sense when you realize how busy the place is.
when we entered the restaurant it seemed loud at first, very loud actually. i don't think i would enjoy sitting up at the front section at all, however for our dinner the host brought us around the back of the bar where there's more of a private section which somehow, by placement of half-walls, curtains, and the way the soundwaves were moving in that space, was actually very quiet. if i eat there again i would want to be in that section again. we couldn't even hear the table of eight in the back corner behind us it was so pleasantly quiet.
we were seated at a booth perfect for the four of us. our server was funny, sociable and had our meal timed very well. the decor was simple, clean and comfortable.
we started with warm focaccia with butter and tapenade that seemed like a mix of kalamata, green olive, caper, and sundried tomato. it was delicious.
for an appetizer i had the crab cakes. the crab was fresh, with a good balance of greens and crumbs to form a deliciously spiced pair of cakes. the fresh corn salsa had a hint of sweetness from the fruit mixed in, and the sauce was so good i used focaccia left over to clean the plate spotless (i think there was a little sundried tomato oil or something similar in the sauce because it had that distinct flavour to it). derek had mushroom caps stuffed with crab and shrimp which he seemed to enjoy. our appetizers were paired with a pacific rim riesling which has two sweet versions - the regular is a little less sweet but when we had it it was crisp and delicious with our appetizers.
for the main i had their surf and turf special which started with soup or salad so i tried their house-made cream of artichoke soup. the soup came with three croutons, had an amazing delicate artichoke flavour perfectly blended so there wasn't any tough parts. it was so good i need to find a recipe, and again i cleaned the bowl with leftover focaccia to not lose any.
for the surf and turf steak, it was a 7oz filet mignon with lobster tail and unfortunately they were out of the bearnaise sauce so i went with peppercorn, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. the lemon for the lobster came wrapped in this little cheesecloth cap which was a brilliant way of keeping the seeds from falling onto the plate. the steak was a little under medium rare, which derek wasn't impressed with, but honestly i prefer my meat closer to rare so it was perfect for me. the lobster was delicious dipped in the butter and lemon. the asparagus was fresh and cooked correctly, the potatoes were great with the sauce. the peppercorn sauce wasn't as intense as i'm used to so it didn't overpower the flavour of the meat at all. it was absolutely a delicious meal. we'd paired it with a morgan 12 clones pinot noir to go with both the steak and dad's rack of lamb, and the wine was smooth and full of flavour which held its own against the meat but not so much bite as to be unbalanced with the lamb. our server had great taste in wine.
for desert, i couldn't resist the creme brulee. i have an addiction to that stuff especially when it's made well. with the kaiser grille i don't care how stuffed i am, i would eat that again. it was served in a large, low walled ramekin with three fresh blueberries on top. the sugar was hit evenly with flame so it was golden consistently throughout the top, with a light dusting of icing sugar. the custard was thick, mom called it very "english" to do it that way, more traditional, and while it looked simple the flavours were out of this world. honestly, probably among the best creme brulees i've ever had.
i also got to try a taste of the pomegranate sorbet (they also had pumpkin spice but nobody ordered that). the consistency was smooth and the flavour was so in-your-face it was amazing. there's no doubt it's high quality sorbet and would have been a tough contender for the creme brulee if they hadn't made that so perfect! the cappucino i tried of mom's was also delicious - a good flavour on the espresso and i would be tempted to get one of my own next time.
i look forward to eating there again, hopefully in the quiet section - we had a great time there.