Dining: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar

At Fleming's downtown, a second trip redeems a less-than-prime experience

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Web posted: Dec. 7, 2005

Photos by Ralph Barrera/AA-S Fleming's Prime Steakhouse excels in the meat department with entrées such as the veal chop with asparagus and sautéed mushrooms, top, and a tower of crisp onion rings. The Lava Cake, middle, is one of its signature desserts. FLEMING'S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR 320 E. Second St. (512) 457-1500 Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners, Discover Wheelchair access: Yes Wine: 100 by the glass ($6-$21), 200 by the bottle ($32-$550) Rating:

That's the question I was asking myself after dinner at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, the upscale chain restaurant that is so popular that nearly every table was occupied on a Tuesday night in November.

For starters, the sweet chile calamari ($10.50) was such a conceptually flawed dish that I wondered aloud how restaurant management could possibly have allowed it to leave the kitchen. The calamari was fried and then sautéed in an "Asian" style, with a sweet-spicy sauce and sliced banana peppers. The double cooking, however, rendered the squid tough and rubbery.

The stuffed baby artichokes ($8.95) presented four halves of the small vegetables covered with a mound of chopped artichoke-onion-garlic-Parmesan mixture that added a biting, unappealing taste even its strong thyme flavor couldn't rescue.

The meats, in contrast, were fabulous. The highly seasoned, prime New York strip ($31.95) was tender and juicy, with so much flavor that you wouldn't even think of using a steak sauce on it. The beef Flemington ($27.95), a take on Beef Wellington, produced a delectable filet wrapped in golden, flaky pastry with a delicious mushroom duxelles and Madeira sauce.

The sides, on the other hand, were unappetizing. The chipotle macaroni and cheese ($7.50) delivered pasta in a thick, grainy cheese sauce, while the broccoli with hollandaise sauce ($6.95) offered a vegetable that was so briefly cooked that it retained a distinctly raw taste.

Defying our by-then low expectations, the baked Alaska ($7.95) proved a delight, with orange-infused cake and chocolate ice cream covered in small peaks of baked, crisp meringue.

Ultimately, the meal was filling but not enjoyable, with too many shortcomings in a dinner that cost more than $130 with tip (and no alcohol). That meant a second trip was warranted to see if we simply had chosen the few bad options, or if the problems were more pervasive.

The second meal began as the first, with a complimentary platter of toasts and celery sticks with Chardonnay-infused smoked Cheddar cheese and pinot noir-infused goat cheese.

This time, the appetizer — the crab cakes ($13.50) — brought two delicious cakes that were almost completely lump crabmeat, with an accompanying roasted red pepper and lime butter sauce that added a sweet citrus element.

The meats continued to give top-notch Ruth's Chris Steakhouse a run for its money, with a 14-ounce veal chop ($30.95) and a 12-ounce filet mignon ($30.95) that were stunningly succulent and rich in flavor.

The sides at this meal were delightful, including a plate of huge, dry, crisp onion rings ($7.50) with chipotle mayonnaise and a well-seasoned dish of button and portobello mushrooms ($7.50) that had been sautéed with garlic.

For the finale, the chocolate lava cake ($8.95) erupted with a molten, dark chocolate center, with two scoops of vanilla ice cream nestled in a crisp tuille on the side.

That cake brought to a close a meal that salvaged my view of Fleming's and answered the question: Yes, it is possible to order a bad meal in a very good restaurant.

So, there's one more question: What rating to give this restaurant, where service was exceptionally attentive during both meals and where the ambience is a lovely, dark-wood steakhouse atmosphere?

Because the meats, service and ambience are so good, and because the appetizers and sides of the second meal were delightful, I'm going to let Fleming's retain its three stars — just barely.

At a restaurant with the reputation of Fleming's, a diner shouldn't be forced to navigate the menu to find a rewarding meal. Fleming's should immediately eliminate those problems so that a bad meal isn't even in the range of possibilities there.