Best steak in town!

[waynehartwig]

A few days ago I went to work on their head chef's computer and he said they have the best steak in Utah, possibly west coast. Then he proceeded to tell me why....

When I moved here, there are signs everywhere for Ruby River being the best, so I tried it, and I would rather eat a microwaved hamburger!!!!!!!! It was worse than Sizzler! ...And I thought that was an impossible feat... So far, the best steak I have had in Utah is Lonestar, and it's not all that great, but it's a fair price for a fair steak. Along comes Fleming's in the Gateway plaza, between Dicks and the station, directly across the street from the Delta center.....

Fleming's is top notch!! The service is awesome, the ambience is fantastic and the steak is THE best! They have a very nice wine selection as well. And like other places, you don't have to buy a bottle (had to drive home) to get a good glass of wine with your meal. They have almost all of their wines by the glass or bottle, and a very nice selection, too! First four? pages of the dinner menu were wine choices. The last two? pages were dedicated to food. The one thing that I found odd, was everything is ala carte and family style. IE you order each of your steaks and then you choose a side - baked potatoe, etc. Say like the wife and I got our steaks (ribeye for me and filet for her) and merlot, then we had a baked potatoe and veggies for the two sides. They grill their steaks at 1600* to sear in the flavor and juices and boy does it work! I do the same thing on my barbeque, but even it doesn't compare. For dessert, I had the chocolate lava cake and a port wine. The lava cake is VERY good. It's served hot, with hot fudge filling, vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream. MMMMMMMMMMMM Next to the steaks, the best part is they don't rush you or try to push you out the door. We were there, eating, for over 2 hours and not once did I feel rushed and the server didn't even bring the check until AFTER he cleared all of the dessert dishes off the table and knew we didn't want anymore wine. If you are in a hurry, this is probably not the best place to go... Everything? is made to order, so you aren't getting your dinner in 10 minutes or your lava cake in 15 minutes.

Anyway, if you want the best steak in town, this is the place. If you go, let Brandon, the head chef, know I sent you. Just say the Dell guy, he'll know!!!

 

[RWH]

what'd it run ya about? say... without the wine.

 

[waynehartwig]

what'd it run ya about? say... without the wine.

If you have to ask, you can't afford it. j/k

My desserts and dessert (port) wine was comped and my bill was $110, $140 after tip. Otherwise it would have been $140 before tip.
I had a 16 oz rib eye
My wife had a 8 oz filet
We shared a large baked potatoe (with all the fixins - chives, bacon, sour cream, butter) and a vegetable (carrots, potatoes, asparagus, green and white beans, calliflower, etc) bowl (which was really cool - made out of crinkle cut fries)
two glasses of Sabastiani wine with our dinner

If I remember right, the glasses of wine were $10.50 each, so knock about $21 off, making it about $120 for two drinking water, before tip.

Believe me, it was worth every penny and I'll definately be back soon!

 

[waynehartwig]

I found this write up on the internet... It kind of states 'poor' customer service, and we had absolutely none of that. Our waiter was only working on maybe 4 tables, at once, the whole night. They were very well staffed, even for a tuesday night. Our waiter came to our table about every 15 minutes all night. He did come over and check on us before we had touched our steaks, but that was only because we were trying to care of our baby and keep him from crying in this fancy place. The staff is also very polite, with lots of 'yes sir' and 'yes mam'. The proprietor Chris? even check's in on all of the guests, making sure everything was to their expectations. The article is over 2 years old, so maybe like the write suggests, they worked out the kinks.

Huge Wine List Adds Sizzle to Fleming's Steaks
By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune 01/04/2002

The steakhouse is a classic concept: serving thick, well-marbled meat in a dimly lit, clubby setting with such traditional mates as baked potatoes and sauteed mushrooms.

How to improve on a classic? Marry one classic to another.

Fleming's, a chain that originated in Newport Beach, Calif., recently took up residence in Salt Lake City's Gateway outdoor shopping mall as a steakhouse wine bar. Paul Fleming, originator of P.F. Chang and Z'Tejas (two national chains that are also represented in Salt Lake City) and his partner, Bill Allen, offer their meat-loving diners 100 wines by the glass, an unprecedented listing for this liquor-controlled town.

No menu, especially one dominated by red meat, needs that much wine. But choice is a powerful lure. Fleming's combines that with quality food and attractive decor, so it's easy to see why this chain has been branded a "hot concept" in the restaurant industry.

Choice doesn't come cheap: the average cost of a dinner at Fleming's is $45, and it's easy to spend more.

Fleming's is beautiful, done in warm colors with cherry-colored wood, suspended lighting that cast a sunset glow and deep red upholstery. Even when the restaurant is full, conversation is easy and the background music is identifiable. The kitchen is visible, but at the back of the room, set apart by a half wall. The only part of Fleming's that isn't comfortable is the tiny foyer, which isn't designed for crowds of waiting people. Solution: make a reservation.

The a la carte menu offers a couple-dozen entrees, dominated by steaks and chops but including a chicken dish and several seafood items. There is a good selection of appetizers, salads and side dishes, enough to make a meal for any diner who eschews meat.

The food menu is dwarfed by the wine list, which is organized by varietal (type of grape) and ranked by flavor intensity. Most of the wines are American, many of them recognizable vintners, but some lesser-known boutique wineries are also represented. A reserve list of 100 wines available only by the bottle features vintages from around the world.

This much choice will be daunting to some folks, but servers are supposed to be familiar with the wine list and able to make recommendations. When asked to suggest a white and a red wine to drink with the appetizer crab cakes (a respectable rendition served with a red pepper-lime butter, $11.50) one server came up with a Honig sauvignon blanc ($8.50) and the Meridian syrah ($9.50). The Honig was the better choice. But that is the beauty of the restaurant/wine bar concept: you could go to Fleming's two dozen times and never drink the same wine twice. Diners can even order two-ounce samples at one-third the price of a glass to choose one to go with dinner.

Fleming's prepares its beef well. The petite filet mignon ($21.95) and the 16-ounce New York strip came perfectly cooked to order on sizzling hot plates. Both were tender and flavorful.

So was the pork chop ($18), nearly two inches thick but still juicy and tender, even after being sent back to the broiler because it was too rare. It comes with a sweet "jam" made of apples and vegetables. The charred salmon is good, too, presented in two fillets dressed with a cabernet butter sauce and garnished with crispy sauteed julienne leeks ($19.50). An appetizer of tender seared scallops ($9.95) is sauced with a spicy, orange-tarragon vinaigrette and includes a good-sized salad of mixed greens.

Side dishes ($4.50 to $6.50) are ordered individually but are generous enough for three people. Fleming's potatoes are sinfully rich, simmered with cream, jalapeno peppers (for flavor, not heat) and cheddar cheese. The sauteed spinach is cooked to barely wilted in browned butter and red onions so its deep color is preserved. But it tasted mostly of butter and not of spinach. Equally rich are the Lyonnaise potatoes, thick slices cooked in butter with sliced onions until they are brown and crisp, like breakfast potatoes.

If beginning the meal with a salad, consider sharing The Wedge ($6.50), iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, red onions and crumbled blue cheese. Even split two ways, it is almost too much to eat. In fact, most of the portions at Fleming's are oversized, as well as calorically rich. But with a little willpower, you can hold the meal to a reasonable size by packing some of it home.

Holding back on dinner saves room (but not calories) for dessert, which might be something like cheesecake, creme brulee or the apple "haystack" ($6.95), a giant scoop of ice cream topped with cooked apples, crisp "sticks" of pita bread and decadent caramel sauce. It sounded better in theory than in practice, perhaps because the apple mixture wasn't warm enough to melt the ice cream and the garnish of caramel sauce seemed stingy.

After opening only a month ago, service at Fleming's is certainly above average, although kinks remain. On a first visit, we were halfway through our steaks before the wine was delivered. On a subsequent night, our server didn't wait for us to test the food before asking if everything was OK. When it wasn't (the chop needed more cooking), we couldn't get him back to the table.

Fleming's has made an impressive start and shows promise of aging as well as its marbled meats. While the menu holds few surprises (who messes with classics?) a meal at Fleming's is as good as a steakhouse gets. All that wine is just gravy.

 

[benjy]

Sounds like an advertisement... have you ever been to Carvers in Sandy? I have never been to Fleming's, but Carvers is by far the best steak in town that I have had...

 

[James K]

seems like an expensive way just to make a turd.

 

[Mr.Chevy]

I don't know about any of you but OUTBACK here in Orem is still number 1 on my list. When ever I go some where to get a steak it is ether a T-bone or Porter-house. I have been to Ruby River and I thought it was over priced and not to good of a steak also.

 

[Jay5.9L]

I have eaten at a fwe good steak places including felmings, carvers,and smith and wizolskies (sp?) in vegas and so far flemings has been the best. 90% of the time I get a ribeye mediun rare and flemings was perfect! Carvers was good but nothing mind blowing. I've had a few good steaks and a few bad steaks at outback/lonestar/rubi river but its not very consistant

 

[Brad]

I have yet to find a steak in any restaurant that compares to what can be made at home with the right marinade and seasoning and a bit of skill.

 

[Brett]

I have yet to find a steak in any restaurant that compares to what can be made at home with the right marinade and seasoning and a bit of skill.

dot

 

[Cory]

I hear that a Ruth's Chris is coming to Salt lake soon :bow: Theirs is by far the best steak I've ever had. Can't wait for it to get here.

 

[mbryson]

I have yet to find a steak in any restaurant that compares to what can be made at home with the right marinade and seasoning and a bit of skill.

Next time you're in Dallas, try Pappa's..........

 

[Jay5.9L]

This is true to an extent. I can make a damn good steak at home but you can't buy the premimum cuts like a steak house can. So even with good grilling kung foo your still working with a lesser grade of meet.

I have yet to find a steak in any restaurant that compares to what can be made at home with the right marinade and seasoning and a bit of skill.

 

[benjy]

Anyone ever been to a bbq place called pat's on 2100 south? Real good, not a huge selection but I loved the pork ribs $12.50/plate. cool atmosphere, too!

 

[Bart]

Great to hear about a great steak. We are picky and have to agree that the best steak in Utah County is at Outback, but I still wouldn't consider it a great steak. We'll have to give Flemings a try. Thanks for the tip.

 

[WayneXJ]

seems like an expensive way just to make a turd.

 

[Jay5.9L]

Pat's rocks!! We go down there at least a fwe times a month. I highly reccomend the burnt ends on Fridays. If not the pulled pork is awsome....mmmmmmmm I"m getting hungry

 

[Milner]

Flemmings is by far my fav in Utah!! If you think Outback/Ruby/Stuart Anderson/et all are good, do yourself a favor and splerge on a night at Flemings!!! You won't mind the price after you have the food!!!!!!!!!!!! If we don't go big on the wine, diner at Flemmings is only $20-30 more than the other places, and WELL worth it!!
We have been there several times and always had amazing food and service!
If you want a small meal/spend less, you can sit in the bar. Sometimes we will sit in the bar a share a steak and a side or soup/salad....
I also love that I can go in there in jeans and a polo, or in a dress shirt and pants and feel comfortable either way, and be treated the same either way....not snobby at all.

We used to go to Spencer's (Very similar) but the quality has gone down the last couple years. S&W is good, but there is another place we went in Vegas that completely blew me away....not in a hotel....I'l have to ask Ang the name....There are some amazing steaks in Houston!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brad]

Bandit's in Park City has an excellent prime rib, but all other steaks I've had at restaurants have left me underwhelmed. You can get excellent cuts of beef that far exceed any restaurant's source; you just won't find them at Albertson's or Smith's. It helps to have family in the ranching/livestock business.

 

[wally]

Well I am still for the ones back home in texas, which I will be going back for 2 weeks in July. Also some good texmex out there.