I recently dropped in on
the new Houston outpost of the Fleming’s
Prime Steakhouse concept to further explore
what I already knew: wet-aged USDA Prime
steaks, classic side dishes, and an aggressive
wine by the glass program that is geared
to be accessible to wine novices, women,
and generally anyone who wants to have
a good steak and a glass of wine without
the high tab of a whole bottle.
Naturally enough, it was
the wine program that held the most interest
for me (even as a woman… ahem…).
And indeed, the wine list features some
100 wines, all available by the glass
or the bottle. Not only are the prices
reasonable, a list like this offers flexibility
to dining companions who want different
wines. It’s a rather general list
that offers something for everyone, with
a respectable handful of offerings in
every category – from sparkling to
white to red. Approximately sixty percent
of the list is a core list, dictated by
corporate specifications. The remaining
40% is "boutique" – chosen
by the wine buyer for each individual
restaurant. The result is a mix of friendly,
familiar choices, plus some more interesting
ones.
The wines are listed "in
order," from light to intense, in
each group. And for those of us who routinely
boycott wine by the glass as often stale
and nearly always uneconomical, Fleming’s
is completely different. Each glass is
measured and priced at exactly one-fourth
of the bottle price, and freshness is
virtually guaranteed with a program this
active. On this level, Fleming’s
is a winner. Diners can essentially spend
as much or as little as they want on the
wine tab – welcome news to those
who fall into the latter group.
On the other hand, our heads
were collectively turned by the Reserve
List that features some truly spectacular
wines like the Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia,
Paul Hobbs Merlot, Robert Craig Affinity,
and many more. We settled in on a bottle
of 1997 Stonestreet Legacy. At $125, it
was a steal (released at around $75).
On to the food. I thoroughly
enjoyed my Petite Filet Mignon (8 oz.,
$23). Perfectly cooked to order, with
a well-seasoned edge giving way to silky
tenderness underneath. On another visit,
the ribeye (16 oz., $28) was what it should
be – flavorful, juicy and with just
enough marbling. The menu also offers
a marinated chicken breast and several
seafood entrees – we have our eye
on the Charred Salmon Fillet for our next
visit!
I haven’t explored
the starters much, other than a couple
of salads – the Caesar is fair, the
Wedge of iceberg lettuce is generously
blanketed with creamy blue cheese –
and the tasty Seared Scallops appetizer
served with orange tarragon vinaigrette.
Something about the rest of the starter
choices just don’t sound like an
appealing beginning to a steak dinner
to me – barbecued shrimp, smoked
salmon bruschetta, a cheese plate…
But the side dishes are
another story – we’ve sampled
nearly all of them. Classic baked potato.
Creamy mashed potatoes laced with roasted
garlic and horseradish. Decadent creamed
spinach in a rich parmesan sauce.
Sautéed mushrooms in garlicky butter.
Tender sautéed spinach with red onions.
Cheesy, creamy Fleming’s Potatoes
are good, if not quite great. Onion rings
are ordinary. And the broccoli is perfectly
cooked, but skip the ordinary hollandaise
sauce.
Speaking of sauces, Fleming’s
offers two. we tried the béarnaise sauce,
despite gentle warnings from our waiter
to the contrary. He was right. Skip it.
On the other hand, the peppercorn sauce
was pungent and deep and quite good.
After such a feast, dessert
can seem like overkill. One evening, though,
we did manage to enjoy several scoops
of a creamy tart Key Lime Pie –
good enough that we’d order it again.
Service was very good –
friendly and attentive, despite the pulsing
buzz of the room. Definitely a steakhouse
look, but with an elegant softness that
does in fact feel more feminine and graceful
than the average steak place. (april
2003)
2405 West Alabama
Houston, TX 77098
Tel: 713.520.5959
www.flemingsprime.com
