Every so often a calendar month is blessed with five Fridays. What better way to celebrate a maximum month of weekends than to spend each one sipping through 100 bottles of award-winning wine?
That’s exactly what Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar restaurants did in September 2011. On each Friday of the month, 20 of the “Flemings 100” – 100 award-winning wines available by the glass – were made available during special wine tasting events at each Fleming’s location.
Here in the South Bay, the “Opening Nights” events were held on the patio at the El Segundo Fleming’s location. Each event was limited to a specific number of guests which allowed plenty of time to sample the wines and space to enjoy each taste. Thanks to an invitation from the folks at Fleming’s, two of The South Bay Foodies (myself and Margaret) were there to take it all in.
100 Bottles of Wine on the Wall…
When I first heard about the event, I imagined a staggering 100 different wines to be sampled during the 1 and a half hour event. Not that I wasn’t up to the task, but I was relieved to learn that each Friday would only feature a fifth of the wines from the list. At the same time, I was disappointed that I’d be missing out on the wines that weren’t featured the night I visited. I guess that’s all the more reason to go back to Fleming’s for another glass or two.
Follow this link for the complete list of The New Fleming’s 100.
A few of my favorites:
- CAMBRIA, Santa Maria Valley Julia’s Vineyard, 2008/2009 – a light but flavorful Pinot Noir
- PETER LEHMANN, Clancy’s Barossa Australia, 2008/2009 – A smooth Syrah
- YALUMBA, Coonawarra Menzies The Cigar Australia, 2009/2010 – A slightly smoky Cabernet Sauvignon
Small Plates on Big Plates
Along with the wine debut, the chefs at Fleming’s were treating the Opening Nights guests to some of the small plates recently added to their menu. Chef Partner Mark Ogren was there personally serving a few of the small plates himself. He mentioned that the idea behind the small plate was to fill the spot on the menu between appetizers and light entrees.
Known for their “you’ll be needing a doggy bag” portions, Fleming’s was keen to offer something a little bit less daunting than the sirloins and porterhouse’s that one might expect. (Yes, there is even a website dedicated to turning Fleming’s left-overs into new meals!) That’s where the small plates come in.
There are seven small plates on the menu:
- Filet Mignon Skewers
- Jumbo Shrimp Scampi Skewers
- New Zealand Petite Lamb Chops
- Ahi Tuna Skewers
- Sliced Filet Mignon
- New Bedford Scallops
- Fleming’s Lobster Tempura
For a bit of surf and turf, the wine tasting guests were treated to the skewers of shrimp scampi and filet mignon.
The shrimp, drizzled with a zesty chimichurri sauce, and the filet mignon, topped with a gorgonzola-bacon fondue, we both served as tray passed appetizers. That’s an FYI to let you know that if you visit and order either of these dishes, the plates are NOT going to look like the ones pictures below! 🙂
The guests gave their approval of the new dishes in silence mainly because they were too busy enjoying them. Each platter was emptied just a quickly as they came out.
Unfortunately, not everyone got a chance to taste the rest of the small plates; but the South Bay Foodies did! We’ll be posting a review of those dishes and some other items from Fleming’s soon. Stay tuned!
Small plates are definitely growing in popularity. The Fleming’s small plate menu looks fantastic. Also, generally, tapas are particularly getting more attention in the small plate trend.
Wow! The shrimp looks amazing!! I love Flemings! Looks like it’s getting better too!
The food looks amazing, small plates are great with wine flights.
Flemings started strong and has went wayyyyy downhill. Time for a new Chef?
What changed in your experience? The past few times I’ve been over the past couple years have been typical in the Fleming’s sense: steaks cooked to request and top notch service. What has changed are some of their offerings including an options for happy hour and small plates. I think those changes have come as a result of the economy. Fleming’s wants to make a way for people to still be able to dine at their locations without busting budgets.