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For almost 100 years, starting just after the Civil War, the Chicago Stockyards were the national hub for slaughtering and distributing beef and pork across the continent. Cattle were brought in by rail and slaughtered. The primal cuts were then packaged and distributed in refrigerated railroad cars. Conditions at the slaughterhouses were rather horrendous until they were exposed in Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book The Jungle. While Sinclair may have exaggerated the problems somewhat, conditions were, in fact, horribly unsafe and unsanitary. As a result of the debate and investigations into Sinclair’s allegations, the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act were passed in 1906. The Food and Drug Administration later came into being as a result of these acts.

The vast amount of beef being processed in Chicago made it easily available and cheaper than almost anywhere else in the country. Steakhouses became a staple in the city, and they have continued to thrive long after the stockyards disappeared. There are steakhouses like Gene and Georgetti’s and The Chicago Chop House that are original to Chicago and have stayed one of a kind. Others, Like Morton’s (which calls itself “The Steakhouse”) started in Chicago and have opened locations in other cities. Other chains, such as III Forks originated elsewhere, but have opened restaurants in Chicago. There are over 30 restaurants that present themselves as high-end steakhouses and many more restaurants that feature steak as a prominent part of the menu.

The first Fleming’s Steakhouse and Wine Bar opened in Newport Beach California in 1998. The chain has grown rapidly and, as of this writing, there are 66 locations in 28 states. They pride themselves not only on their steaks, but on a large wine selection that includes at least 100 wines by the glass in each location.

My first experience with Fleming’s was in, of all places, Salt Lake City in the early 2000s. The rules for serving alcoholic beverages in Utah were (and still are) amazingly complex and highly restrictive. The idea of a “wine bar” was pretty foreign to the state at that time. Fleming’s had to go to extraordinary lengths to be able to establish the kind of wine service that is their trademark. My fellow wine lovers and I were extremely grateful when they finally succeeded and (full disclosure) for that reason I may be biased in favor of them even today.

I have eaten at several Fleming’s locations around the country and the experience has been quite consistent. Like all good steakhouses, they start with Prime beef. They offer both wet-aged and dry-aged cuts for those who prefer the flavor and texture nuances of one aging method or the other. They season their steaks well with salt and pepper before searing them at 1600 degrees under a broiler or searing them on a cast iron plate. My requirements for a good steak are simple: excellent quality beef, properly seasoned with salt and pepper (other flavorings, such as garlic powder or herbs can be added if not overdone) and cooked to my preferred temperature (medium, or a warm pink center). I have rarely encountered a problem with the quality of the beef in a steakhouse, but the seasoning and temperature can vary all over the map. Quality and seasoning have been uniformly good at Fleming’s and the temperature has almost always been right on the first try.

The decor at Fleming’s is traditional steakhouse, which is to say, dark paneling and low light. I’m fine with that. Service, with very few exceptions, has been good to excellent. Where one steakhouse can distinguish itself from its peers is with the appetizers, salads and sides and its wine list. Fleming’s does a great job with some unusual (or unusual twists on) appetizers and sides. Their wine program, as already mentioned, is excellent.

A nice touch at Fleming’s and some other restaurants is that they notice when you are wearing dark clothes and swap out the usual white napkin for a black one. A small touch, to be sure, but one that shows they are paying attention to the customer.

The first thing to appear on your plate at Fleming’s is a freshly baked loaf of bread with a couple of their trademark flavored butters.

I believe the flavored butters are changed from time-to-time, but tonight we had one with sun-dried tomatoes and another with Chardonnay and Feta cheese. The bread is good – warm and crusty – but not world-class. I think it was garlic-parmesan that night.

Valeria and I will usually share a bottle of wine at a restaurant, but we weren’t on the same page on this particular night with respect what we wanted (it happens in the best of families) so we just ordered by the glass. I started with a classic Martini (that means Gin, regular olives, cold and served up) while Valeria went for a glass of rosé. My Martini was followed by a glass of Cabernet with the steak.

One of the features that sets Fleming’s apart from many steak houses is it’s extensive list of wines by the glass – the Fleming’s 100^®. It’s nice to have that kind of choice. The list of wines by the bottle is also competitive with all but the highest-end places.

Fleming’s was one of the first to put its wine list on an iPad – or WINEPAD™ as they call it. I have used these in a lot of places, and I’m not entirely sure they make finding the wine you want easier. I usually don’t go in with a specific wine or even a specific variety in mind. At a steak place, I scan through the reds from the US, Spain, France, Italy, Chile and Argentina to see if anything jumps out at me, then narrow down from there. I find that harder to do on an electronic list. 

On the other hand, I love to play with electronic gizmos, so it may take me longer to find a wine but I have more fun finding it.

We shared a simple chilled seafood platter for an appetizer. Another steakhouse staple, these can be overdone and overpriced with mediocre seafood. This was a simple plate of king crab legs, lobster, shrimp and crab claws, nicely composed.

Each piece of shellfish was perfectly cooked. Even the crab claws, which are often watery from having been frozen, were firm and delicious. Nothing here to light up the food blogs, but there is something to be said for good ingredients, properly prepared and served simply. Besides, it went really well with my Martini.  🙂

Then we got serious: a Dry-Aged New York Strip for me and Dry-Aged Ribeye for Valeria.

Both were ordered medium, both came out medium. Well seasoned, nice sear on the outside, tender and juice on the inside. It’s steak. That’s perfection. Don’t mess with it.

Gotta have some veggies or Mom will be mad, so we ordered spinach sautéed with garlic and red onions.

Yes, we are going about as straight-up classic steakhouse as you can go with this meal. Spinach was nicely sautéed and hot with a good garlic flavor.

When I was a kid, I did not like mushrooms, but now it is hard to eat a steak without some. Flemings cooks them up in garlic and butter, which is all they need.

Our final side was a half-order of onion rings with chipotle dipping sauce.

I am actually not much of a fan of thick, breaded onion rings. I much prefer thinly sliced, lightly breaded (almost tempura-style) onion strings. I do love the Fleming’s chipotle dipping sauce, however, and the onion rings are good as that style goes, so I order them once in a while.

After all of that, we were too stuffed for dessert so we called it a night.

If you are looking for a classic steakhouse meal with great beef, tasty sides and a really extensive wine list (especially wines by the glass) give Fleming’s a go.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Address: 25 East Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 329-9463
Reservations: opentable.com
Website: Fleming’s Streakhouse Chicago
Dress Code: Business Casual
Price Range: $31 to $50
Hours: Monday—Thursday: 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Sunday: 5:00pm – 9:00pm
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