Small Plates Large Taste at Fleming's in DTLA

Fleming's Steakhouse at LA Live in Downtown LA recently launched a small plates menu as well as a limited edition private label wine, the 46 Diamonds Toscana 2009.  The restaurant already had a traditional appetizers, salads and steaks format to the menu, but the addition of small plates enables grazing or feasting, depending on your mood and the occasion.

The small plates include Sliced Filet Mignon on shiitake mushroom risotto, Lobster Tempura and Filet Mignon Skewers among several others.  My dining companion and I opted for the New Zealand Petite Lamb Chops with pistachio mint pesto and polenta fries.  The lamb chops were petite as advertised, just the right size to pick up with your hands and eat.  There is no dainty in a steakhouse; no morsel should be wasted.  The polenta fries were nice and crispy and the chops had a pleasant lamby flavor and were cooked medium rare as asked.

Ahi Tuna Skewers with wasabi aioli, sweet tomato vinaigrette and homemade wonton chips are another highlight of the Small Plates menu.  The tuna is lightly seared and is served with the just spicy enough wasabi aioli.  This dish is not for those who shy away form sushi.  The tomatoes were a nice addition to the plate but I didn't feel the wontons added much beyond a crunchy element to the dish.

The Porterhouse was a special on the night of our visit and as Fleming's is a steakhouse at heart, it made sense to get to get the porterhouse so we could try both the tenderloin and the strip.  The steak was served peppered and was cooked rare to medium rare.  We methodically attacked the steak, like a well thought out military campaign.  There was nothing left but the bone when we were done.  Our waiter informed us that the porterhouse can come in multiple sizes.  Some diners have eaten a size twice that of the one we split, all by themselves.  The allure of a well cooked prime steak is hard to resist.

Chiptole Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese is a recommended side.  Breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, the mac & cheese is pleasantly cheesy, although nobody is going to call this version cheese and macaroni.

A real treat is the limited edition Sangiovese house wine that Fleming's partnered with Il Borro Winery's Salvatore Ferragamo (yes he is related to his namesake, the footwear maker was his grandfather) and Nicolò D’Afflitto.  The 46 Diamonds Toscana was modeled after Ferragamo's flagship wine Il Borro.  Only 350 cases were produced and the wine is exclusive to Fleming's.  The Toscana went marvelously with both the lamb chops and the steak.

Each year Fleming's partners with a winemaker on an exclusive bottling; past winery partners have included Mondavi.  This year's Toscana 2009 is ready to drink now.  It is a lush Super Tuscan style wine with strong fruit forward notes while not veering into the sweet zone.  Alas due to the limited production, this is a enjoy while you can item, as when it is gone, it is gone.

This visit was hosted.

Fleming's at LA Live: 800 W. Olympic Blvd, DTLA. Phone: (213) 745-9911.  Website: www.flemingssteakhouse.com

62nd Emmy Awards Governors Ball: The Food

When the cast of Mad Men and the other Emmy Award winners left the Nokia Theater on Sunday evening, they walked across the plaza to the Governors Ball, where an army of caterers, waiters, florists and planners organized a seated dinner for over 3,500 attendees. This is the largest annual dinner in North America and required months of planning to enable the dinner to go smoothly and each guest to get their food hot and delicious.

With so many celebrities in attendance, this was no rubber chicken dinner. I will leave it to others to dish about who wore what. I will focus on the important stuff: what did they eat? Joachim Splichal's Patina Catering catered the three course meal of Summer Vegetable Salad, Rack of Lamb and Dark Chocolate Decadence. Wines were provided by Beaulieu Vineyards and the cast of Modern Family and Daily Show celebrated their statuettes with Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne. Nobody was going hungry or thirsty at this bash.


The first course (above) was Summer Vegetable Salad, Avocado Mousse, Salsa Verde and Heirloom Tomato Water Gelee. The avocado mousse and the tomato water gelee (at the right side of the plate) provided a nice textural contrast to the fresh vegetables on the left. This year the Emmy Awards were held in August, instead of the traditional September, which provided Chef Alec Lestr, the Executive Chef of Patina Catering, the opportunity to focus "on summer ingredients instead of fall. We have beautiful heirloom tomatoes this year."


The main course was Rack of Lamb with Dried Fruit Crumble, Chickpea Puree, Basil Marinated Grilled Eggplant with Summer Vegetables and Rosemary Juice. The lamb was delicious and made it out to the table pink in the center. Chef Lestr began planning the meal and came up with 80 different dishes. By March he and his team had narrowed the choices to 20 for the Board of Governors to sample and the entree options included beef, lamb and chicken.

For the first time in a decade the Governors chose something other than beef by going with the lamb. For diners who don't eat lamb, the kitchen provided an option of Portobello Mushroom Ravioli or Lemon Studded Salmon Ratatouille. Almost 1,000 pounds of rack of lamb was served to the attendees.


Over 180 chefs and 13 executive chefs were on hand to prepare the food for the full house of 3,600 winners, nominees, presenters and academy members. The dessert course (above) was Dark Chocolate Decadence with Smoked Fleur D'Sel on Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie. This is not a dish you see every day, combining a dessert mix available in the supermarket with high end fine dining flourishes. Philippe Muze, the Executive Pastry Chef for Patina Catering, created the dish, which was a first for him. "I tested the brownie recipe and it came out well. Coming from France, we don't have these kind of products there. I love fleur de sel. I thought, what can I put with chocolate brownies? Fleur de sel gives some special flavor to the dish."


Chef Lestr (above) was surprisingly calm before the awards, "I wish every day was the Emmys. I want to feed 3,500 people every day. We have such an amazing team. With the theme of Starry, Starry Night, we thought, let's make the food beautiful," he said. His motto is "plan the work, work the plan."


The tables were decorated with the theme of Starry Night and the food was cooked on-site, on temporary kitchens set up in the adjacent parking lot and plated adjacent to the ballroom. Your correspondent was unfortunately not able to keep the Emmy statuette pictured in the photo above, despite having a perfect spot for it on my mantle. Below the full expanse of the room is visible in all of its scale and extravagance.