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The other night, Barbara and I were having dinner with two recently returned couples. Of course, we talked about some of the changes here since their departure last spring.

Pat, from Boston, was bemoaning the loss of two of his favorite restaurants over the summer. He looked right at me, as though it was all my fault, and asked, “How could that have happened, I thought they were doing well?”

Sheepishly, I responded that we had certainly done our share and were just as surprised and disappointed as he was. Pat still hadn’t forgiven me for letting his favorite steak house close last summer.

“This has been a pretty tough summer for restaurants, what with the weather and economy keeping tourists away and affecting business from locals, as well,” said Barbara, in my defense. “That’s the problem. No sooner do you get used to a restaurant than it’s gone.”

“My first wife used to say that about her husbands,” said Howard, our friend from Louisville.

“What do you mean her husbands?” I asked, emphasizing the plural. “How many did she have?”

“Well I was her third and she’s still counting.”

His wife Joanne, wanting to change the subject, asked about the new restaurants.

“We went to The Capital Grille and had a great time,” said Barbara, as quickly as possible.

“The Capital Grille. Where is it? We have one in Boston and they have great steaks,” said Pat who has never met a steak he didn‘t like.

“Big deal, another steak house,” said Howard. “We already have our share of upscale franchises -- Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s, Shula’s, Chops and Preston’s. So what makes Capital Grille so special?”

I explained that my first visit to a Capital Grille was in Boston, in 1999, and it was a very special occasion.

“It was the evening the U.S. team won the Ryder Cup at the Country Club of Boston and I had been on the 17th green when Justin Leonard made the putt,” I said. “The restaurant was packed that night and everyone was celebrating our team‘s great comeback.”

“And just think, it took us nine years to get it back,” said Howard, a member of Valhalla Golf Club, which regained the Ryder Cup in September. “Too bad there’s no Capital Grille in Louisville.”

“Well I wasn’t in Louisville or Boston, but I’ll tell you another special occasion when we went to a Capital Grille,” offered Barbara. “It was our anniversary, and we were in Chicago and went to the Capital Grille there.”

“And what made it extra special,” I added, “was that we were seated in a room where Michael Jordan would dine and since he was coming that night, we had to be finished before his reservation at ten.”

“Did you see His Airness?” Pat asked.

“No, but just as we were leaving, a couple of tall guys were coming in the back entrance. Does that count?”

“Was it another special occasion when you went to the Capital Grille here?” Pat’s wife Alice asked.

“It turned out to be. The restaurant is in the Mercato, and it‘s attractive, inviting and customer-friendly, from the valet parkers to the hostess.”

“You can say that about a lot of restaurants in this town,” someone pointed out.

“True, but nonetheless, we were made to feel welcome and comfortable, even though the place was packed and the lounge was filled with people waiting to be seated.”

“While we were waiting, we had a chance to look at the wine lockers that people can lease and stock for the year,” added Barbara. “The hostess said all 60 lockers already have been leased and there is even a waiting list.”

“We had one in Boston and it was great, because we could select the wine we liked and know it would be there for us each time we returned, even the bottles we hadn’t finished,” offered Pat.

“Well, this one had all of the portraits of local Florida dignitaries throughout the restaurant, including in the private rooms we passed on our way to the table. It felt like Barron Collier was staring at us throughout dinner. I was hoping some eye contact with Gene Sarazen would help my golf game. Hasn‘t helped yet, though.”

“Maybe you should try Sam Snead’s,” suggested Howard. “What’s the menu like?”

“It’s typical for a high-end steakhouse,” I answered. “But I found the wine list a bit overwhelming. A wine steward helped us select the perfect match for our dinner choices. He also helped us choose the food. From salad to dessert, it was excellent. We both left quite satisfied and with a doggy bag, as well.”

“Ok,” said an impatient Howard. “I’m sold. Let’s have our next dinner together there, but I think now we should order dinner, here. You’ve made me hungry.”

“I sure hope they have steak.” said Pat as we all opened our menus.

Ciao!