Steak and Sangria Meal at Fleming's

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

455 Newport Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

I am a little disappointed in myself. I like to think that I am "in the know" about restaurants and some of the great deals that they offer. So I was a little upset to learn that one of my favorite steak restaurants has been having a three course meal for $39.99 all summer long, and we haven't made it here yet. Luckily this deal was brought to my attention before it expires on August 26th, so we still had time to make it in before it was over.

The deal I am talking about is the Steak and Sangria Menu. A three course meal that includes, salad, steak, and a dessert, all for under $40. Customers also have the opportunity to add a glass of sangria for $7.95 as well. This special has been going on all summer with a different menu every two weeks. Unfortunately these are the last two weeks of the special offer, but at least we got to Fleming's in just the nick of time to try it.

For those of you that do not know about Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, they are an OC born steakhouse. They started back in 1998, at this very same location, which is still the only one in our great county. They have expanded to 63 locations in 28 states. Since 1998 Fleming's has gained a reputation for great service, a sophisticated ambiance, and of course fantastic food. I had been thinking about this meal all day, so lets see what Fleming's had cooked up for us.

Before we get to the meal, a quick shot of the Bread and Spreads. The bread came out very warm, and was very fresh. We actually went through two loaves of this. The spreads helped enhance our pleasure of the bread. The Sundried Tomato and Basil spread was good, but the Feta Cheese spread was so much better. This cheese spread had just a touch of Chardonnay and had big time flavor. This spread really brought the bread to life.

As stated above, the sangria is an optional item for this menu, but at under $8 we had to at least try it. I am not much into sangria, but this one surprised me. The Sailors Sunset Sangria featured Sailor Jerry's spiced rum, Red Diamond Merlot, peach schnapps, and fresh fruit. This sangria really tasted more like a light punch, than a wine based drink, which is more my preference. Very refreshing.

To be honest with you, this is the only portion of the Steak and Sangria menu I was not looking forward to. The salad option for these two weeks is the Tomato and Mozzarella Salad. I am not a big fan of tomatoes, but I ate almost all of this salad. The sliced beefsteak tomato was joined by fresh mozzarella, arugula, and a red onion balsamic vinaigrette. Katie called this one of the best salads she has had. The mozzarella was very creamy, and you could taste the freshness. The red onion was really a great addition to this salad. Guess I was nervous about this salad for no reason.

Now the main event! With each Sangria and Steak Menu, there is a different preparation of the Prime New York Strip. These two weeks they are serving it with a crispy Gorgonzola, alongside grilled asparagus, pickled fennel and baby golden beets. The steak was great! Seasoned with just salt and pepper on the outside, and cooked to a perfect medium rare on the inside, this is the way steaks need to be made. The Gorgonzola of course added a real nice flavor to the meat, while still allowing the flavor of the steak to be in the spotlight. The asparagus was good, but the pickled fennel and beets were a little overpowering. They kind of had a real strong citrus/vinegar flavor. I also want to note that Katie did not get her steak well done this time, she went with it medium well. She enjoyed it very much, but is still afraid to get her meat medium. Baby steps.

Dessert for these two weeks is the Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies, served with vanilla ice cream with a warm apple ginger sauce. How could this be a bad scene? It can't. The cookies were very light, the ice cream was very cold, and the warm apple ginger sauce was a pleasant surprise. I did not get a lot of lemon flavor from the cookies, but this was a good serving size for this dessert, and this was a great way to end a very good meal for us.

So now that you know that this deal is out there, go out and get it. $39.99 for all of this food was a great bargain. If you were to order all of these items by themselves, it could easily cost you up to $65, so it really is a steal. We just wish we had known about this deal sooner.

We really need to thank everyone at Fleming's. Starting with our waitress for the evening, Christy. She was so nice and attentive, while keeping our meal moving along. Also thanks go out to the Manager Tai and Operating Partner Russ Bendel. It was really great chatting with both of you. Thanks for letting us know about your remodel that just got underway, and the new location of Fleming's that will be opening in Beverly Hills later this Fall. It was also a pleasant surprise when Chef Partner, Christopher Hutten came by our table to chat with us for a few minutes. It is always great talking with the man behind the food, and we were grateful for his time during the dinner rush. Lastly, a big thank you to magnificent marketer, Lee Healy, for letting us know about this great deal, and allowing us to share it with all of you. Thanks for everything Lee!

For more information, including other locations, and to keep up with other happenings at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, visit their homepage here: http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/