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

100 Glasses of Wine on the Wall: Fleming's Excels at Wine by the Glass

Fleming's Steakhouse in El Segundo is known for its steaks made with Prime beef but on a recent visit I was pleasantly surprised to find that they also have 100 wines available by the glass.  This may be the largest selection of wines by the glass I have encountered anywhere in the region and is a customer friendly development.  The list is regularly refreshed and the latest iteration of the "Fleming's 100" launched last month.

The list has a large selection of red wines, which naturally pair with steak, but also represents a broad range of sparkling, white and red wines.  The bubbly selection includes a Blanc de Blancs from Schramsberg, which I consider to be the best producer of sparkling wine in California.  The bubbles were small and continuous and the wine had a pleasant crispness to it.  Not overly sweet, a good start while perusing the menus or having a salad to begin.

Another good option in the champagne and sparkling wine section is the Roederer Estate Brut Rosé, a sparkling rose from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, north of Sonoma.  This wine is made from pinot noir grapes and was fruit forward and pleasantly fizzy.

One of my favorite regions for red wine is Rioja in Spain.  La Vendimia from Palacios Remondo is a Garnacha and Tempranillo blend.  It is a well balanced rioja with fruit and leather aromas.  This will get your stomach juices ready for the inevitable steak to follow.

The wines by the glass can also be customized into a wine flight of three wines (2 oz pours each).  I enjoyed the flexibility of being able to try any three wines by the list.  There were no restrictions that they had to be from some subset of the list or only preselected options; if it was on the list of 100 wines by the glass, you could include it in your wine flight.  Especially in Southern California where diners often need to drive after their meals, it is excellent to have the option to not be forced into buying a bottle you won't finish or paying too much for a limited selection by the glass that may not have any choices you want.

It would be a shame to not try the Bone-In Ribeye when you come to Fleming's to work your way through the list of wines by the glass (hopefully not all in one visit).  My dining companion and I split the steak, which was made with Prime beef.  It was prepared a beautiful medium rare and was juicy and flavorful.  The ribeye was simply seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs and then broiled.  A steak like this will spoil you for meat at other restaurants.

Man does not live by meat alone, so we sampled the Asparagus and the Fleming's Potatoes.  The asparagus was a great veggie component to our meat and wine fest.  The Potatoes are a house specialty with cream, jalapeños and cheddar cheese.  This was the one component of the meal I cannot recommend as I found them to be heavy and not that delicious.  Stick to the baked potato or the french fries if you want a starchy component to your dinner.

With 100 choices, there is no excuse that you can't find something to your taste.  Even better the sommelier listened to what I was looking for and was able to recommend several choices that met my parameters.  Note that if you have wanted to try Silver Oak, but found it out of your price range, Fleming's list includes a Merlot from Twomey, its sister winery which shares the same winemaker.

This visit was hosted.

 Fleming's: 2301 Rosecrans Avenue, El Segundo.  Phone: (310) 643-6911.  Website: flemingssteakhouse.com

Nick + Stef's Meat 101: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic & Rare Beef

Do you think you are too old to go back to school?  Think again as Nick + Stef's Meat 101 is the kind of education you have been looking for.  The curriculum involves learning about the differences between various cuts and aging techniques.  I want to get extra credit by trying them all, although no guarantees that the credits will transfer to USC & UCLA.  

The educational series begins on Thursday October 20th and continues every Thursday through December 1st (excepting Thanksgiving day) at Nick + Stef's Steakhouse in downtown LA.  Classes cost $35 and include all materials and lab fees including the meat as well as paired wines. Your instructor is Professor Megan Logan, who also happens to be the Executive Chef.  She was formerly the sous-chef at Patina and has been leading the kitchen at Nick + Stef's for the past year.

The schedule of classes is as follows:

October 20th: Which Rib-eye to Buy?  Students get to sample and learn about bone-i, boneless and dry-aged rib-eye steaks.


November 3rd: New York, New York ... and New York!  A deep dive into bone-in, boneless and dry-aged New York Steaks.

November 17th: A Well Aged Steak.  This masterclass gives majors the opportunity to compare dr-aged and wet-aged rib-eye and New York steaks.

December 1st: U.S. vs the World.  Whose cuisine (or beef and wine to be precise) reigns supreme?  American, Argentine and New Zealand steaks and wines will be put to the ultimate test.

I went to a preview of the "Well Aged Steak" seminar and was quite impressed.  It was fun to get to taste a variety of aging methods and cuts all at once.  I have a prounced bias for rib-eyes as I find their fatty nature to be more flavorful.  The New York steak below made me reconsider.  It was cooked rare to medium rare and was juicy and full of beefy flavor.  All the beef we tried, and that Nick + Stef's serves, is graded Prime, the highest rating.  Only 3% of cattle are rated prime, so it is relatively hard to obtain and more expensive than other grades like Choice.

Dry aged beef is generally more expensive than wet-aged beef due to the aging process in which much of the moisture is allowed to evaporate, leaving a denser more intensely flavored beef.  The loss of the 8% water weight means that if a dry aged steak and wet aged steak begin the aging process the same weight, the dry aged one will finish lighter, thus resulting in a higher cost per ounce.  The steaks are aged for 21-28 days at low temperature (32 - 34 degrees) and high humidity to maximize the conditions which will give the beef flavor but without making it too gamy.

Aged New York

The Dry-Aged New York steak above had an intense flavor and wonderful texture, reminiscent of the best toro.  This is melt in your mouth beef, the kind you can only get at great butchers and steakhouses.  A steak like this is worth forsaking a ribeye.

Students get the opportunity to taste and compare the flavor profiles of different meats.  In the photo below, the rib-eye steaks are on top, and the New York steaks are on the bottom.  The sessions are limited to a small group of 15 and the meat is paired with interesting wines.  Chef Logan mentioned that she was excited to share a variety of wines with the steak, in order to show off the different flavors.

4 cuts, one plate

The steaks are aged on the premises, in a glass aging room and are then removed when they are ready for cooking.  The steaks below still have their protective "shell" on them, which is removed before they are cooked and served to the students.  The classes are informal and Chef Logan has a welcoming and unpretentious demeanor, although nobody in our class turned in their homework assignment late.

Shell Game

Having the aging room on-site allows the restaurant to have total control over the beef.  They can ensure optimal conditions during the aging process and it enables them to have sufficient quantities of different cuts at the right point in the aging period.  Plus it makes for a mouthwatering display as you walk to your seat.

School Locker

Classes begin tomorrow.  If you don't want to be behind on your coursework, I suggest you enroll soon.  Reservations are required and can be made by calling the restaurant directly at (213) 680-0330.

Nick + Stef's: 330 S. Hope St, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 680-0030.  Website: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=6