Not so high steaks

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar not up to the city's legendary competition

I was talking on the phone with one of Chicago's more notable chefs and we got on the subject of new restaurants. I brought up Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He harrumphed a bit and said, "Just what Chicago needs is another steakhouse."

Does Chicago really need another steakhouse? The answer is "maybe," because Fleming's has deep pockets (after all, there are some 60 Fleming's steakhouses spread out across the country) and the atmosphere is quite pleasing. And it has a dynamite location on Ohio Street.

The steakhouse model in Chicago is steeped in tradition and etched in stone, so what can Fleming's carve into it to make everybody else stop and take a hard look?

Well, there is the "Wine Bar" idea appended to the name. Eh! Wines by the glass or the bottle (and Fleming's is flush with both) are getting priced out of sight, so that's no big deal. The menu is rife with typical steakhouse appetizers (shrimp, salmon, crab cakes, seafood tower) and salads (the wedge, Caesar, et al) and side dishes (potatoes, spinach, asparagus). The steaks are the usual cuts, and I cannot add the word "above" to any of those eaten. Six seafood entrees are pretty much the same as those you would find on a typical steakhouse menu.

But there were some good moments: The cheese spreads that come gratis with the breads were excellent. The bar poured a good drink. The clubby atmosphere (in the dining room on the other side of the bar) was relaxing. The service staff was helpful.

Overall, the food was good, and there were a couple of standouts, like the sweet chile calamari. This appetizer was not made up of the usual squid suspects (as in deep-fried crispy); rather the rings were breaded and gently fried and tossed with a slightly zingy chile sauce with bell peppers, chives and lime playing a supporting role.

But when I got to the meat of the matter, things started going downhill. "Prime bone-in ribeye" hit the table more rare than medium-rare. There was more fat than meat to deal with, and the overall mineral flavor was hardly what I would expect from prime beef. And at $42.95, I felt that I had been taken. My wife's petite filet mignon ($33.95) was a little better in overall flavor, but not by much, and this steak, too, came out more rare than medium (it seems the kitchen was still struggling to get the temperature angle right).

By this time, the tab was already in the $90 range, and the side dishes, around eight bucks apiece, were still to be had. The fluffy mashed potatoes were outstanding, as were the sugar snap peas (flavor jumped with a soy chili glaze).

Also good was the baked onion soup -- deeply flavorful, and the three cheese (Gruyere, Swiss, Parmesan) lid over the rich broth added a flavor boost.

"King crab and shrimp scampi" had a little something going for it. The "little" part was the amount of crab meat that was hanging out with the four large shrimp, all of which was arranged over a large slice of bread (a croute, if you please) that did nothing more than bulk up the appearance. The flavor profile -- shallots, garlic and a butter sauce -- gave the dish the right flavor punch, but when you boil it all down, the $29.50 price for four shrimp and some tatters of crab meat was a bit much.

Desserts somewhat saved the night. I recommend the dessert sampler. The $14.95 price is a bargain (easily serves two, or even three). The tray featured mini-portions of the four desserts available: a very tasty cheesecake with the requisite graham cracker crust and blueberry sauce; a terrific peach cobbler (flavor enhanced with cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg) with a streusel toupee; a good chocolate lava cake (with the "lava" mysteriously missing), and creme brule that was just fine.

Pat Bruno is a free-lance writer, critic and author. E-mail brunoeats@aol.com.