Giving Fleming's a Shot

Fleming's

455 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

We've been to Fleming's numerous times, and all those times we have been here through the run of this blog it was for a promotion, and I realized that we have never really done a proper review of this restaurant. I often don't really think of Fleming's when people mention steakhouses, even though I have never had anything but a great experience here.

The main reason for that is geography. Fleming's is off by itself at Fashion Island, while the rest of the great steakhouses are all located at, or near South Coast Plaza. Mastro's, Morton's, and Capital Grill are all situated in Costa Mesa, while Ruth Chris is just a stone's throw away in Irvine. With all the visits to Fleming's we have made in the past, we have learned that Fleming's should not be disregarded, just because they are kind of out on their own island. No pun intended.

This Fleming's location is the flagship of this chain, which was founded in 1998, and has since grown to 67 locations in 28 states. Started by major restaurant veterans, Bill Allen and Paul Fleming, who have had a major hand in creating and overseeing some of the most well-known restaurants out there. P.F. Chang's, Paul Martin's, Pei Wei, Roy's, Habit Burger, and more have been under their leadership at one time or another.

Each Fleming's is run by a chef partner and an operating partner. When we first started coming here this spot was run by Russ Bendel and Chef Chris Hutten. Both have moved on, and the reigns have now been turned over to Operating Partner Stephen Blevins and Chef Partner Kevin Monahan. We were curious to see if they maybe had lost a step, but the busy dining room on this Thursday evening gave no hint of that. Let's see if Fleming's should be considered one of the better steakhouses in OC.

First off, I'm going to apologize in advance for my sub-par pictures on this evening. We were seated in a rather darkened area of the restaurant, and I snapped pictures as quickly as possible, as to not disturb the other guests seated around us. Anyways, Katie decided to start things off with this House Burrata ($13.95). This do it yourself starter came with charred grape tomatoes, toasted garlic points, arugula, and of course the creamy burrata. Katie loved the presentation here, with the creamy cheese and perfectly done toast as highlights.

I'm a big fan of wedge salads, so the New Wedge Salad ($11.50) needed to be ordered. I know it's not in the form of a wedge, I had them chop it up for me, which makes it a lot easier to eat. Not sure what makes this a new wedge salad. It featured some very fresh iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, chunky blue cheese dressing, caramelized bacon, and crispy onions. Maybe what made it new was the inclusion of some toasted sunflower seeds, which the menu did not mention. This was a very solid salad. I really enjoyed the blue cheese dressing here. It had a good blue cheese flavor to it but did not overpower. The sunflower seeds and crispy onions added a nice texture element, and the bacon, which would have been better crumbled up instead of served as a strip across the salad, was delicious as well.

I was a little shocked when Katie went with this Petite Filet Mignon ($49.45), instead of the seafood dish she was eyeing before we got here. I always cringe when Katie orders her steak in a place like this, because she always gets it medium well, which usually ruins it. Even though that's the way this 8-ounce prime steak came out, they still managed to make this edible. Maybe it was the pocini mushroom rub, with a garlic butter and Gorgonzola cream that saved this. Whatever magic they worked back in the kitchen, Katie made quick work of this steak.

I went pretty big here, with their Dry Aged Prime Rib Eye ($58.95). Unlike Katie, I ordered this 16-ounce steak the right way, medium rare. It came out beautifully. Tender, slightly charred on the outside and made even better with a very well done Bearnaise sauce, which was complimentary. I could have eaten my shoe with that Bearnaise. A very satisfying entree, but we were not done yet.

As is the case in all these high-end steak restaurants, sides are not included with the entrees, so we ended up each ordering one here at Fleming's. Katie picked the Grilled High Country Asparagus ($12.50), and I have to admit that when she ordered this, I was not too excited about it. She redeemed herself when I got the chance to try this and proved that not all asparagus is equal. This was some of the freshest I have had, and it was seasoned wonderfully with black pepper and salt. The Fleming"s Potatoes ($12.50) were also not to be missed. I assume Fleming's does not feel the need to have a lobster mashed potato, because this potato casserole is so good, and they are correct. A wonderful combination of cheddar cheese, cream, and mild jalapeno elevate the potato to new heights. Just like I go to Mastro's for just their butter cake sometimes, I could see myself coming here just to order these potatoes, they are that good.

Dessert was going to be our last hurrah here at Fleming's on this evening, and I'm almost always drawn towards Carrot Cake ($11.50). This was a good, not great version of this classic cake. Three layers, each separated by a light cream cheese frosting, encased the cinnamon-tinged cake. I though the cake portion was served too cold and could have been a tad moister. Not as memorable I would have hoped.

Fleming's on this evening proved that they belong in the conversation of very good steakhouses in OC, even if you don't immediately think of them. The steaks are the stars here, but the sides and appetizers are great in their supporting roles. I wish they had a signature dessert like that awesome butter cake from their rival that I had mentioned earlier, but still a good night at Fleming's. Even though this area of town can feel a little snobbish, I have never encountered this at Fleming's. The ambiance here is more on the lively side, with a very boisterous bar crowd, which seems to give dining room guests a green light to be a little more relaxed as well. The feeling of the dining room has always kind of felt like a cruise ship dining room to me, which is not a bad thing, as it has the feel of vacation to it or at least a vacation from your day. Service was excellent here. Our waiter Michael was professional and personable and the rest of the staff we encountered were fantastic as well, with management being very hands on. I also have to mention that Fleming's offers some great three course seasonal specials throughout the year, and has a great prime rib special going on now on Sundays and Mondays. So meals here can be a little more affordable than some of their competitors. With all of that said, I have them third, right behind Maestro's and Capital Grille as the best high-end chain steak restaurant in OC, but as always, these rankings are subject to change based on my next visit. Glad we finally made it to Fleming's to do a proper review, and we won't forget about them in the future.

Out of five shots, (not because of the ones being served in the bar here, but for Scottish Biologist, Alexander Fleming, who helped discover penicillin, which is sometimes given in shot form), five being best to zero being worst, Fleming's gets 3.5 shots.

For more information about Fleming's, check out their website here: https://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

Hurry Up, Small Plates, Big Pours Ends June 30th

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

455 Newport Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

One of the things I love about Fleming's is that there is always something going on. Sure their food is great, but they do no rest on that alone, even though they could. They always have some new promotion happening here. Something that gets people in the door, and trying new things on their menu. They have one of the best happy hours around, with the 5 for $6 til 7 promotion. With this happy hour they offer five appetizers, five cocktails, and five wines by the glass for $6, until 7PM. Also offered for $6 during happy hour is one of the best burgers you will have, the Prime Burger, which comes with cheese and bacon. I still look back fondly on that burger, which I had nearly a year ago. This trip to Fleming's is for another promotion, the Small Plates, Big Pours. 

When we arrived at this media event for Small Plates, Big Pours, we were ushered into the Wine Cellar, which is a private dining room capable of hosting up to 54 people. I had been to Fleming's a number of times, and have never even known this room existed until this past Saturday. This room is part of a million dollar renovation project that has taken place at the restaurant not so long ago. The room is ringed by mosaics of winemakers, and other Fleming's influenced people. The mosaics are made up of tiles that feature the labels of the winemakers wines. Very creative. 

Before we get to the Small Plates, Big Pours portion of the afternoon, we had a special treat come out for us, off of the 5 for $6 til 7 menu, the Pan Crisped Pork Belly. One tidbit of advice I have been prone to throw around to anyone that wants to listen to me is, "if you see pork belly on any menu, order it. You will never be disappointed". The pork belly at Fleming's definitely backed up my statement. This pork belly was served with a very nice cherry chutney sauce and a cheesy polenta that reminded me of a very well made cheesy girts. This is usually served with three pieces on the happy hour menu. I could have eaten about three plates of this for sure. The pork was crisped wonderfully, had just enough fat to add flavor, and went well with the other items on the plate. Pretty much a must get item when coming here for happy hour. 

While we were waiting for our next plate of food to come out, we were introduced to the new Winepad that is new at Fleming's. Think of this as an interactive wine list, with a twist. Sure all of the wines are listed here, but you can also select what you are having for dinner, and the Winepad will let you know what wine will go good with your entree. For a wine novice such as myself, this would be a very useful tool. The Winepad gives lots of information about the wines, and even has a Spin the Bottle feature that randomly chooses wines off of their 218 bottle wine list. A very progressive way of selecting wines, and a great way to get more people into wines, like myself. It took a long time before I got my shot of trying this Winepad, because Katie was so involved with it. 

Now onto the Small Plates, Big Pours section of the afternoon. There are seven different options available, with a suggested pairing for the wine. If however you would like to have a different wine, with your small plate, you may choose another one off of the list. The Small Plates, Big Pours are available all night in the bar area, and come at a cost of $24.95. The small plate is described as a serving size that is in between an appetizer and an entree. The big pour is a glass of wine that is filled to one and a half times the standard wine pour. By this time I was getting very excited to see what was headed our way from the kitchen.  

When asked what I wanted to try of the seven options listed on the Small Plates, Big Pours menu, I was immediately drawn to the Braised Short Rib with B.R. Cohn Silver Label Cabernet 2010. When I first saw the short rib I thought it might have been overcooked, but it was fork tender, with lots of big flavor. The au jus was a nice compliment to the meat, and the spinach and arugula served alongside of this was cooked well. I am not going to try and fool you into thinking I know a lot about wine, but I do know that this Cabernet went well alongside this short rib. The wine was pretty smooth, with a little hint of fruitiness in the background. 

With a little prodding, I steered Katie towards ordering the Fleming's Lobster Tempura with Franciscan Estate Chardonnay, from Napa Valley. Who could ever say anything bad about lobster? Even though the lobster had a tempura batter around it, it did not overpower the dish, and let the lobster shine through. It was served alongside a very well made soy-ginger dipping sauce. I am usually against dipping lobster in anything but butter, but this went very well here. Along with the lobster tempura was an arugula-jicama salad, which provided a nice spice. Katie did not say much about her wine, but the sip that I had was very good, with a nice crispness. 

As our meal was wrapping up, there was an opportunity to snap a picture of the great people that made this event possible. From left to right, Chef Partner and all around great guy, Chris Hutten provided us with all of this great food that was provided to us. In the center was our ever gracious hostess for the afternoon, the always hospitable Lee Healy. Then on the right, is the latest addition to the Fleming's Newport Beach family, Jose Jimenez. Jose has some big shoes to fill with the departing of the former Operating Partner, Russ Bendel, but just from talking to him briefly on this afternoon, we would say that Fleming's is in very capable hands. Thanks to all of you, and everyone that helped make this a very enjoyable afternoon at Fleming's. 

Jose used to work at the Rancho Cucamonga Fleming's location, where they serve brunch. Now that brunch has followed him to this Newport location. With great brunch entrees like a Filet Mignon Eggs Benedict, Baked Brioche French Toast with a Walnut Crisp, and a Prime Burger with Fried Egg, I can not wait to come back and try their brunch that is available Sundays, from 10 to 2PM. Just another way that Fleming's is always evolving, and getting new people through the door. 

The Small Plates, Big Pours promotion runs through the last day of June, and is available during their operating hours in the bar area. For more information on all the great happenings going on at Fleming's, click here to go to their web site: http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

Bottle Wars Commencing at Fleming's

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

455 Newport Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Fleming's is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots to visit. Not only is their food very good, but they keep introducing new food items and having great promotions. This month alone they have a Memorable Feast for Two that is three courses for $99, and they are also having their Last Call Sale, where patrons can save 25% off bottles of wine. As much as I would have loved to have taken advantage of these offers, we were here for two other happenings going on at Fleming's, the introduction of their new Bar La Carte menu and Bottle Wars.

Bottle Wars is a fun, competitive way that Fleming's is introducing their latest version of the Fleming's 100. After a year long search, and numerous tastings, Fleming's introduces a new list of 100 wines offered by the glass. They leave about 25 to 30 wines on the list from the previous year, so that leaves 70 to 75 new wines for people to discover. Fleming's has come up with a great way to get people to sample some of these by having wine tastings every Friday night in September. Not your average wine tasting though. Fleming's is pitting wines against each other, based on style, location, and price. On the Friday we were here, it was a Battle of the Hemispheres. For $25 you get to sample wines from New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Chile, then see how they compare against wines from California. Here are the pairings, and what we thought was best.

The first match up pitted two Sauvignon Blanc's against each other. The Kim Crawford  was from New Zealand and had a slight fruitiness to it. I would have liked a little more sweetness out of it. The Hanna, from the Russian River Valley of California was my clear winner here. It was a clean tasting wine, with subtle hints of citrus. Score one for California wines!

Next up was the Chardonnay round, which had Women of the Vine, from California's Central Coast, going up against Indaba, from South Africa. The Women of the Vine was pretty mild for my taste. It needed a little something more. The Indaba was the clear favorite in my book. It had more substance behind it, and had a wonderful depth to it. We are all tied up now, California and the Southern Hemisphere knotted up at one apiece.

Also included in the $25 for wine tasting is the inclusion of some appetizers from Fleming's. The night we were here they started us off with these Shrimp Skewers with chimichurri. These went very well with the white wines we had. These shrimp should not be called shrimp, because they were so large. Very tasty, well seasoned shrimp, and the chimichurri sauce went very well with these. A nice respite from the wine tasting, but now it was on to round three.

Round three featured red blends, The Prisoner from Napa Valley versus Yalumba from Australia. This was the most difficult match up for me. They both were pretty good. I gave the edge to The Prisoner because the flavor lingered longer, and with more complexity. The Yalumba was good, but I did not get the intense finish I was expecting. California wines up 2 to 1 now.

The people at Fleming's may have been wanting to move things along, or they might have noticed my Dad getting a little rambunctious, so they sent out the next appetizer rather quickly. This Mushroom Crostini may have lacked meat, but it was delicious anyways. The bread had a nice crunch to it, the mushroom added a little meatiness, and the Gorgonzola cheese added a lot of flavor.

Cabernet Sauvignon was next to be tried, with Educated Guess from Napa Valley going against South American favorite, Primus, from Chile. This Chilean wine was my Dad's favorite of the night. He was trying to convince everyone to vote for it as well. He was very passionate about the rich fruit flavor of this one. The Educated Guess was a little too creamy for my taste, but not a bad wine by any means. We are all tied up with one more match up to go.
 

The last of our three appetizers was this Apple and Blue Cheese Flatbread. I am not usually a big fan of mixing fruits and cheeses, but this one worked out pretty well. The bread portion of this was sturdy enough to hold the toppings, and the blue cheese really made this pop with flavor.

Merlot's were the last wines of the evening. The California contender was Dreaming Tree from the North Coast of California. This wine is backed by musician Dave Matthews. It had a real rich fruity taste to start, then a peppery flavor took over. The Esk Valley, from New Zealand had a rich bouquet of fruitiness, then finished with a nice hint of vanilla. This wine won this match up, and won the tasting for the Southern Hemisphere. To be truthful though, all of these wines were winners. They all had their own unique qualities to them, and maybe your wine palette is different from mine. You have two more opportunities to enjoy this wine tasting, tomorrow and the next Friday, September 28th, but you can enjoy the new Fleming's 100 glasses of wine for the next 11 months.

The other two bloggers that were attendance, Anne Marie from Brekkie Fan's Blog and Tiffany from Wine Taste Travel, and myself got to have the added bonus of checking out the new Bar La Carte Menu. This menu was recently introduced in the bar, and features seven appetizers/light meals that are available anytime. We got seated at a table and got to break into this bread. If you have not had the bread at Fleming's, it is one of the best ways to start a meal. It came out warm and was served alongside two great spreads. The Sundried Tomato and Basil is good, but the Feta Cheese Spread had a great flavor to it. I knew a lot of food was on the way, so I tried to limit myself to only a few pieces of bread.

Of course Fleming's is famous for their meat, so it was a natural that we start with their Prime Rib Melt. This hefty sandwich comes with Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and a whole grain mustard slaw. The meat was of course tender, the Swiss helped give a little extra flavor boost and the slaw added a little extra crunch. Good solid sandwich, and not a bad way to start off this Bar La Carte Menu..

This was the most interesting item that we tried the whole night, the Salt and Pepper Shrimp. This appetizer also came with crispy French green beans and a rich caper-mustard sauce. The shrimp were very good. I did not detect the salt here, but the pepper was evident. I am not a big green bean fan, but with this very flavorful sauce, it even made these taste good. The serving size for this was very generous as well.

This hearty dish is the Prime Steakhouse Meatballs. The meatballs were of course the big draw here, but the peppercorn sauce and shiitake mushrooms should not be overlooked. They both helped make this more of a meal than just an appetizer. I could imagine eating this comforting dish on a cold winter night.

Going around the table at the end of the meal, this House Made Burrata seemed to be a clear favorite. I did not get a chance to try this, because I was getting full and wanted to save room for the last two appetizers. The burrata was served with charred grape tomatoes, wild arugula, and toasted garlic crostinis.

We ended our night with two flatbreads. The Filet Mignon Faltbread was very tasty, with its Danish blue cheese, Monterey jack cheeses and red onion confit. Just typing these words makes my mouth water. The Cedar Roasted Mushroom and Artichoke Flatbread may have been missing meat, but it still was a nice light option here. The red peppers, jack cheese, and garlic married well here to create a very flavorful union.

It was quite a night at Fleming's. As you can see from this post, there is always something happening here. On this Friday night the restaurant was popping and the bar was filled to capacity. We even had a visit from Fleming's founder, Paul Fleming. Just like the rest of the staff, he made us feel real comfortable. A special thanks goes out to PR guru, Lee Healy for the invite to Fleming's. Also we would like to thank all of the staff at Fleming's. Everyone we have ever run across is always so pleasant and nice. Thank you all very much, we look forward to coming back soon!

For more information on Fleming's, and all the happening there, click here: http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/

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/