Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

Are you drooling yet?

Background: 
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar was opened in 1998 by Paul Fleming and Bill Allen in Newport Beach, California. Now, Fleming's boasts 69 locations and is owned by the restaurant group that owns Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill. Last Friday night, Fleming's invited us out to try their delicious offerings for the first time, and we were more than impressed with every moment of our experience, from the hostess stand to dessert! Everyone was so welcoming, and the food was fabulous. 

Eat This: 
Although Fleming's makes a mean steak, their menu offerings are broad. What sets Fleming's apart from other chain restaurants is their inclusion of a Chef's Table menu. Each location's head chef gets to curate a menu that changes monthly and is unique to the chef and location. Charlotte is lucky enough to have Chef Rigoberto Castillo creating some standout menu options in addition to the items available at all locations. 

Also, if you have never tried Fleming's, this weekend is the time! Fleming's is only open for brunch/lunch four days a year: Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. And Father's Day has to be the best option of all--who has a father who doesn't appreciate a good steak? If you are saying no, we need names, people. Beginning on Friday the 15th and throughout Father's Day weekend, Fleming's is offering a three-course menu featuring a 35 ounce Prime Tomahawk steak and a very special bourbon tasting including Basil Hayden’s, Buffalo Trace and Knob Creek. If you are looking for brunch, Fleming's will open at 10am and offer Eggs Benedict and other morning favorites!

Oysters on the Half Shell

red wine mignonette, cocktail sauce

The oysters were part of Chef Rigo's menu, and this is the first time Fleming's has offered oysters! 

SWEET CHILE CALAMARI 

Jason's perennial favorite--we ate all of this!

MAPLE GLAZED SLAB-CUT BACON

I mean...can you go wrong with a bacon slab? 

PRIME DRY-AGED RIBEYE

Our waiter, Gene, said this was his absolute favorite steak on the menu, and he didn't leave us astray. The meat melted in our mouths!

Stuffed Pork Chop

This was an item from Chef Rigo's upcoming menu (yet to be published!), and we got a sneak peek! This was so tender and flavorful.

Fleming's POtatoes

The best scalloped potatoes of life.

SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS

These were so buttery and perfect. 

CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS & BACON

I love having crispy brussels with a steak, and these hit the spot!

Dessert: 
How could we fit in more food after all of that for two people? I dunno, man. But somehow, some way, we made it work. 

Walnut Turtle Pie

a la mode

So good. 

Drink: 
Fleming's is known for having an epic wine menu, and while they have recently paired down their options (from 100!) to provide a more streamlined list, they still offer the best of the best when it comes to wine and cocktails. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of the Mas Fi Cava Brut sparkling wine--one of my favorites! 

Atmosphere: 
The vibe at Fleming's is classic American steakhouse. The hardwood details and carpet merge upscale and comfortable perfectly. There were many people here for special occasions, but no one felt the need to whisper--everyone was enjoying themselves.

Carnivorous Hospitality: 
Our server Gene has worked at Fleming's for over ten years! He was a consummate professional, and we felt so well taken care of all night. The Operating Partner, Clinton Geiger, was very hospitable and came around and checked on all of the tables and ensured every aspect of the dining experience was up to snuff. We felt very fancy dining at Fleming's, and it's a place I would love to take our parents or Jason's grandma for a special occasion. There is something for everyone to enjoy on the menu, and the food and service combine to provide an experience that is delightfully out of the ordinary. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Jason had a total Chima experience at Fleming's (ie, he ate way too much meat and needed to lie down immediately); Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs at this meal, and we are pretty much still full five days later; Aging meat is the new black; When I have two glasses of alcohol, I like to talk a lot; Sorry, Jason; How did we fit in that turtle pie after everything else? Magic, I tell you. And a second stomach for dessert, of course. 

Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.

 

Chima

Hey, that's not a meat!

Background: 
You might be surprised to find out that Charlotte's favorite (and only) Brazilian steakhouse actually originated in Brazil. If you've ever been to Chima, this shouldn't surprise you, because it feels authentic af. Ft. Lauderdale got the first US location in 2004, and now Chima has four US locations, and Charlotte is lucky enough to be included in that exclusive club. If you have ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you know how magical they are.  Close to twenty different varieties of meat brought to your table on skewers? It's every American's Brazilian dream come true! We have long been Chima fans, particularly during restaurant week, as you can get so much bang for your buck here--you can save $20 per person off of the typical rate during restaurant week! Jason's history with Chima is particularly storied, and you can hear more about his meaty history in detail on this episode of the podcast (preview: his muscles get bigger with every bite of meat he takes). We felt completely and totally honored when Chima invited Scallionpancake out a few weeks ago to formally review Charlotte's meat amusement park. They seriously treated us like royalty. Look! We even got a sign: 

OMG QUIT YO DAY JOB

Eat This: 
Okay, here is how Chima works, for the uninitiated: 

Wonderful servers bring food accessories to your table (meat-cessories!). This includes mashed potatoes, polenta, fried bananas, turkey pate, meat croquettes, and, the very best thing of all: cheese bread. You can try a little bit of everything else, but eat all of the cheese bread. If you have any of it left over, please DM us and we will send you our P.O. Box number where you can send us all of your uneaten bread.  

Then, you hit up the salad bar. There are differing opinions on this, but I like to be liberal at the salad bar. It's all fresh, tasty, and it counterbalances the meat situation that's about to hit you hard. Jason is dainty at the salad bar, as he thinks it is foolish to use valuable stomach space on anything that isn't meat on a stick. On our last visit, he broke his own rule and went all out and ate a heart of palm (yes, just the one), and a sliver of Parmesan. 

When you feel prepared, you should turn your attention to your "meat button." Don't overthink that term, thanks. Your meat button has two speeds: orange, which means: "Yes, please, I would like all the meats" and black, which indicates: "I am on the verge of a physical and mental breakdown and I need a brief meat hiatus."

When you flip that button to orange, it is GO TIME, BABY. The meat comes fast, and you've gotta be ready. Do you want top sirloin? YES. Lamb shank? YES. Filet? SIR, YES, SIR Parmesean pork? YUP. Hot dog? GTFO of here with that noise. No offense to the hot dog and the chicken, but that's not what you're here for. You are here for the best of the best, and you must plan wisely. 

What if you are here with...gasp...a vegetarian/vegan??! No worries. They don't have to starve. Plenty of options for them on the salad bar, plus these two skewers for them--vegetables and, the newest option at Chima, cinnamon roasted pineapple! Whhaaatt. I know. Pretty great--even if you're an omnivore. 

Jason and I love the sauces at Chima, and sampled them all on our most recent visit. Our favorites are the hot sauce and the horseradish. Put it all over everything! Even your date, if you want to get weird. 

If you only learn one thing from this blog post, we need it to be this: Chima is not over when you're full. Chima is over when you hate yourself. And that's the best lesson I can give you. Now is not the time to be conservative. Now is not the time to diet. You are gonna meat out, k? You need to be in a full-scale meat sweat by the time you leave. 

Think you're full? NO! Eat this bread, too! Eat it all! Get a plate full of butter because you are living

Dessert: 
Our most recent visit is the only time we have found valuable stomach space for dessert, and we are so glad we did. We tried the chocolate peanut butter lava cake and the Brazilian trio. The cake was good, but if you are only getting one dessert, we highly recommend the trio. It comes with a walnut cream, a beijinho, which is a mixture of coconut and condensed milk, and a brigadeiro, which is a chocolate and condensed milk concoction. The coconut was our favorite of the three, and we would like an entire vat of it. Well, two vats. One for each of us. Everyone knows I hate to share dessert. 

Post-fork 

The Scallion behind Scallionpancake 

Drink: 
If it's your first visit, you absolutely must try the Caipirinha, which is Brazil's national cocktail. A traditional Caipirinha is made with cachaca, sugar, and lime. How is it different from a Mojito? A mojito is made with rum, which is distilled from molasses, and cachaca is a liquor distilled from sugarcane. Chima also makes a mango and strawberry variety in addition to the traditional lime flavor. 

We also recommend a nice red wine to accompany all of that meat. 

Atmosphere:
Chima has great lighting and a hip vibe. Also, with everything going on, Chima is a great spot to go with friends or on a date--it's as much entertainment as it is a dinner. 

Brazilian Hospitality: 
The servers are so attentive at Chima. There is always someone asking you if you need anything. When your meat button is on "go" the food comes around so quickly, but the servers are very aware if you are on a meat break, and they won't bother you if your button is turned to black. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Jason's muscles really do get bigger when he eats meat, but only the muscles on the top half of his body, so he collapses like an accordion; Why aren't meat-musement parks a thing?; I wish every restaurant brought around items on skewers--right down to the check; We really do have a P.O. Box filled with Charlottean's unwanted bread; Or do we?; After eating at Chima, you need to lie down within 20 minutes before meat fatigue kicks in--you've been warned.

Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.