Live from LA.... Fleming's Steak House!

On the corner of Olympic and Figueroa in Los Angeles is one of the finest steak houses I've had the pleasure of visiting.  In fact, about 10 days ago, my wife and I visited after receiving gift cards from her dad.  He said it was a great place for steak. 

It IS a great place for steak... and wine... and dessert.... and hospitality... and in a great location for a special and memorable evening out in one of the greatest cities on the planet. 

It's hard not to write something like this and have it sound like a restaurant review of sorts but, in a way, that's what it is. An it's also a bit of a journal entry - for two really great nights out. 

Our first night was scheduled to coincide with a Prime Rib dinner offering that Fleming's is promoting during Sundays in January only and it's quite the deal.  It included a salad, a 12 oz cut of Prime Rib, a Side and a Dessert all for under thirty bucks.  Here's the deal - my wife and I could have shared one and been completely satisfied.  That is how much food this amounts to.  But we each ordered our own.  And took home leftovers.  And ate them the next evening.

We brought our own bottle, as is usually the case; a bottle of 2006 Sea Smoke Southing to be specific and it worked perfectly with the food - and the seasonings.  Our server was Elizabeth - a genuinely friendly individual who welcomed us as if we were a guest in her home.  We were also greeted by David Shelton, who usually manages at the El Segundo store but happened to be standing in during this particular evening.  If the friendly professionalism of David and Elizabeth are an indicator, I would stand here and recommend any Fleming's to my readers.

The first experience was so delightful, that we invited friends to join us again this week.  We were greeted, seated, and again made to feel right at home by Kent - a person who paid close attention to every detail in our experience but also ensured that we had the space to enjoy our evening as if there was nobody else in the room.  We were also visited by Michael DiGiambattista, an operating partner, and whose name I recognized from his signature at the bottom of an e-mail thanking us for joining the "Friend of Fleming's" club.  Michael was hospitable enough to thank us for coming back - acknowledging that we had visited previously just over a week before.  The warm greetings and friendly, top notch service set the tone at Fleming's. 

The food kicks things to another level altogether. 

I'll be brief and to the point.... Salads... Oysters... Fillet Mignon... New York Pepper Steak... Lamb Chops... Mac and Cheese (yup), Mushrooms.... Chocolate Lava Cake... Creme Brulee... Espresso... Cappuccino... all paired wonderfully with the two bottles we brought with us: the 2008 Denner Syrah and 2007 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet. 

Are you hungry yet?

To top things off, the receipt had a web link to a survey at the bottom and the customer receives a $25 credit toward their next visit just by completing it.  And it only takes about 5 minutes. 

Fleming's is a place that seriously wants its' customers to come back again and again.  And they live up to their own high standards by making frequent visits very enticing and something to look forward to. 

We'll be back.

Cheers!

Dinner

Sometimes it just comes naturally... yes, I'm bragging. Tonight, my daughter, Jamie and I decided to have a nice dinner. We had a great show last night at Moctezuma's in Whittier - our vocals were right on the money and the energy was good. We felt like we earned it. So, tonight, we created a meal of Pepper-Bacon-Wrapped scallops, Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Red Onion, a Romaine Salad with Yellow Bell Peppers, Tomatoes on the Vine, and Avocado from our backyard tree. The main course? USDA Prime Sirloin steak rubbed in mildly spicy Cajun seasonings.

The wine? 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz. Yes, it does come naturally - or seemingly so, with the good folks at Mollydooker. Yeah, they come from the land down under but, tonight, I felt like I lived on the land up above. Not because of the mellow feeling after enjoying such a meal... but because the taste pairings all around... the 'flow' as it is, was perfect.

It might be an easy assumption that the appropriate wine would be one of the Cabernet selections from Northern California and, I would agree - it would be hard to go wrong. But, this wasn't a meal short of diverse flavors. I'm not really sure that a California Cabernet short of $100 would have held up under the weight of the spices, peppers, and, did I mention, balsamic vinaigrette dressing?!!!!

The 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz is a natural. This is a wonderful wine... filled with bold flavors of blackberry, black licorice, and black cherry.... drank very nicely with the blackened steak!

Now I don't presume to have the most discerning palate. I'm not a sophisticated wine drinker by any means. I drink what I like so that I like what I drink. That's it. But I think my taste buds are in tune even if my mental arsenal of adjectives is not. I still taste the wine... it's amazing. After all of this food, you'd think my taste buds would be dead. Not so. And there's still more wine left.

The 2008 Mollydooker Shiraz is flat out delicious. It's a natural. Just go with it.