Il Capriccio
Address: 888 Main Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453
Phone: (781) 894-2234
Type of restaurant: Italian
Entree price range: $24 to $34
Handicapped accessible: Yes
Review date: April 21, 2007
Review: Ken and I had the pleasure of dining at Il Capriccio recently. The food, wine, and service were outstanding.
We began the evening with a glass of the 2004 Hermann Dönnhoff Riesling Kabinett Oberhäuser Leistenberg. This wine opens with a shy bouquet, but on the palate the wine blossoms. The flavor profile is nicely sweet with apple and pear flavors. The mouth feel is lively and refreshing. The finish is pleasant. This wine rates a Very Good + on the Ken’s Wine Guide scale. This wine was a perfect match for Ken’s appetizer, Steamed P.E.I. Mussels with white wine, garlic, and pear tomatoes ($14.00). The mussels were terrific. For my appetizer, I had the Wild Mushrom Soup ($8.00), which was an excellent choice. The broth was rich; it had plenty of mushrooms and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese which complemented the soup perfectly. This soup warmed me up on a chilly night. We also tried the Spiced Shrimp with Smoked Prosciutto and Kiwi ($13.00). We liked the contrasting taste and color of the spiced shrimp with the kiwi. It was very tasty and visually appealing.
For my dinner, I had the Pan Roasted Halibut with mashed potatoes, baby spinach, and white wine ($27.00). The presentation was beautiful and the food was delicious. The halibut was served resting on top of the mashed potatoes with the cooked baby spinach resting on top of the Halibut. The accompanying asparagus, carrots, and broccoli were placed next to the mashed potatoes. I especially enjoyed the perfectly-cooked buttered asparagus. The halibut and mashed potatoes were "melt in your mouth" outstanding; I loved every morsel of my dinner. Ken had the Seared Sea Scallops, roasted shallots, lentils and Moscato d’Asti ($30.00). Ken thought his meal was exceptional.
To accompany our dinner we ordered the 2002 I Clivi "Galea" from the Friuli region of Italy. This natural (organic) wine is made from 75% Tocai and 25% Verduzzo grapes. Jeannie Rogers, co-owner and sommelier of Il Capriccio, assisted us with our wine choice. This golden colored wine opens with a mild bouquet that expresses a hint of pear. On the palate, the wine is very well balanced. It displays a nice blend of acidity and fruit flavors. The fruit flavors come through even more as the wine warms up. The mouth feel of the wine is clean and slightly creamy. The finish was dry and pleasant. This wine rates a Very Good + on the Ken’s Wine Guide scale. This is a terrific food wine and matched very well with our scallops and halibut.
For dessert, we split the Lemon Mousse with candied lemon rinds ($9.00). It was light, fluffy, and delicious. We loved the candied lemon rinds on top. While we thought we were too full to order individual desserts, we loved the mousse so much we wished we had not agreed to split it, but had instead ordered our own! The mousse was good to the last fought-over bite. With dessert, we each had the 2005 G.D. Vajra Moscato d’Asti dessert wine ($6.50). This wine rates a Very Good on the Ken’s Wine Guide scale. It has a floral nose. On the palate it is lively and has intense fruit flavors. The sweetness is held in check by its acidity. This is a delightful finishing wine.
We highly recommend Il Capriccio for all food and wine lovers. The food and wine were terrific. The service was excellent as well. As the menu changes monthly, we look forward to our next visit to Il Capriccio. For April, the minimum entrée price was $24 and the maximum was $34. Il Capriccio is handicap accessible.
Il Capriccio is a Destination for Wine Lovers!
Cheers – Theresa and Ken
