SILICON VALLEY STEAK MASTERS

1st Quarter 2016 - Dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse, Palo Alto

March 30, 2016  |  Mike Preston "Ditch Digger" & Patrick Quinn "The Dictator"

 

 

Patrick Quinn "The Dictator"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Flemings Steakhouse at Stanford Shopping Center provides a traditional steakhouse atmosphere with a few additional kickers. The valet parking, though not big enough for the Steakmasters Bus that we arrived in, was a nice tough as well as the flat screens above the bar enabling us to keep up on the Warriors win as we enjoyed our meal. The acoustics are quite good allowing all 9 of us to hear each other, whether we wanted to or not! We were seated in a very comfortable booth that anchored the dining room. The restaurant was appropriately lit, but not too dark. We were then greeted by our server, who was very engaging, but inexperienced. We requested the wine steward to open a double magnum that was graciously brought by “The Chairman” and after an initial struggle, wisely called in the GM to remove the wine cottage stored cork. We were off to the races!

 

Food:  5/5

• I ordered a Caesar Salad and Prime NY Steak. The Caesar was perfect, cool crisp lettuce, just enough flavorful dressing and thinly sliced sections of asiago cheese adorning the top. My NY was one of the best I have experienced. Cooked to perfection (medium rare) and lightly seasoned. The sides were split family style amongst the Steakmasters. All were appropriate temperature and tasted great. The onion rings and creamed spinach were especially tasty! Dessert was not needed, but we ordered any way. Just know that everything is better with real whipped cream.

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5

• Though I did not partake, the cocktails looked ample and were served in a timely manner. I did sample the Prime wine as we toasted the recent passing of one of our owns Mom.

 

Service:  4/5

• Our server, Michelle, was very nice and made the evening fun, but clearly was not an established server. Hopefully a rising star! The support staff kept everything moving from water to plate removal.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• Really enjoyed the booth, it allowed us to see and hear each other. The overall atmosphere was grade ‘A’ steakhouse and the bathrooms were very clean, always a must.

 

 

Mike Preston "Ditch Digger"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• The Masters had a 6:30 Dinner reservation at Flemings. We arrived at 6:35 PM and were immediately greeted and seated. Very nice that the table was ready for our large group of 10 but a bit unfortunate that we did not allow enough time to visit the bar. I think because we were seated so quickly and so near the front (first large booth table from the front entrance) that we really did not get the opportunity to see much of the restaurant facility. Of course our group became consumed in conversation immediately and all else about our visit was a little masked by wine and camaraderie. This is a bit of a disclaimer for my review as I want to be sure to be fair to the restaurant and staff. The summary of my experience is that I had a great time and believe that all Masters did. I would surely visit Flemings again.

 

Food:  4/5

• My order was the Petit Filet done Medium plus and Lobster Tail with drawn butter. I believe the table had 3 or 4 large sides ordered however my choice to try was the asparagus. I think for a steak master to order a medium plus steak is probably a sin but I have always preferred meat more well done than not. Not a fan of blood red meat. My Filet was done perfectly and tasted excellent and I was extremely pleased. Very tender and an obvious excellent cut of meat. On the other hand the lobster tail was a bit of a disappointment. Where I like my steak well done if prefer lobster just barely done. If overcooked lobster becomes a bit tough and this was the case with my lobster tail. A bit chewy and lacking in flavor, not horrible, just not great. The asparagus were fine as they most usually are.

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5

• As I said earlier we did not visit the bar. And I did not even see the bar, unless it was under the big screen TV’s playing the Warriors game that we were reaching to glimpse at. So I assume the bar was there and that is was adequate. As for the wine and drink list. Very good selection of very fine wines and all the drinks that anyone would expect from such a nice dining establishment. We started with individual cocktails and they seemed to satisfy all. The primary wine for the group was from a commemorative magnum bottle donated by the “Chairman” for the dinner. I do not believe that I heard the $ amount for the corkage fee but whatever it was it had to be worth it as the Nickel and Nickel Cab was excellent and paired very nicely with the steak.

 

Service:  3/5

• The service was fair. And I hesitate to criticize our poor waitress as I believe she was very well intended but perhaps a little overwhelmed by our group. It seemed like a very long time before drink orders were taken and then even longer before drinks were served. And during this delay the dinner orders were not taken so service of the meal slow and the potential for appetizers diminished. However, once the initial ordering was complete our waitress seemed to gather some more control and the rest of the meal went fine. Prior to our visit my Dinner Chairman partner “The Dictator” had set up Flemings Master Chef to visit our table during dinner. He did but he was a bit busy and instead of taking this opportunity to tell how great the steaks or the process is at Flemings he instead asked us what questions we might have. A fair presentation but could have been a real memorable experience if done right.

 

Ambiance:  3/5

• Nice, Clean, steakhouse feel. Black leather seating, white tablecloths, dark inside and open. In my mind nothing special, romantic or cozy. Nice atmosphere for a business lunch or dinner. Our booth was tight for 9 big guys but comfortable enough to enjoy each other’s company. I could almost hear the guys on the other end of the table which in this case is a good thing. Another note, The bathrooms were very nice and very clean which I think is an important sign for a restaurant showing its attention to detail. Good job Flemings.

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Bill Baron "The Chairman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• To start, an opportunity to be with good friends to share stores, laugh and toast life is worth a 10 out of 5 score, if not more. Our trip to Fleming's was equally great. It started with a meeting at the Ditch Digger's home, only to be met by his eclectic bus and driver Eddie. A great man who took good care of our group. With Sinatra music blaring in the background and cool libations being enjoyed, our bus departed San Jose to head north to Stanford. Upon arrival, we entered Fleming's to be greeted by our hostess, and seated in a great oval table where we could all see one another and interact. The restaurant was busy and rather loud. We brought with us a huge bottle of Pride wine and the sommelier decanted it into multiple vessels. Rolled into cocktails, ordering of appetizers, salads, dinner and dessert, only to get home about 11PM. A great evening at a place that is quite nice, though loud and lacks a certain "steakhouse" feel. Service was fair--not great. I felt a bit that I was at a mall restaurant. But at the end of the day, the steak was very good, and therefore I judge Fleming's at a 4 star experience, though would ebb towards a 3 star.  

 

Food:  4/5

• I enjoyed a spinach salad which was very flavorful. If anything, it was a bit overdressed, but this is a preference thing. If you want a good spinach salad, yet like it a bit less wet with dressing, ask for them to lighten it a bit. Good flavor regardless. My meal was the aged New York, cooked medium. And it was cooked near perfectly. The ends were a bit over done, but certainly acceptable. Flavor and texture were very good, but don't earn 5 stars. Just the way I like it, the steak was the only item on the plate--as it should be as the star of the show. We enjoyed several sides, but I only had the steamed spinach. It was prepared well. There are many steaks on the menu, though the NY was recommended--and I appreciated the recommendation.

 

Bar/Wine List:  3/5

• Though we brought our own special wine, i did look at the wines provided for within the menu. I did not ask if they had a more robust wine list--but sure hope that they have one. I was uninspired with what I saw. Moreover, for those at the table who ordered martinis…the presentation was somewhat weak in smaller than normal glasses. Somewhat of a disappointment.

 

Service:  3/5

• I struggled with this one. Our waitress was a very nice person--pleasant and kind. That said, it was hard to hear her softer voice due to the noise. Certainly a nice touch for the chef to visit our table--and we had a nice chat with him as best we could given the noise. Moreover the sommelier was a pleasant enough guy. The delivery of food, etc was somewhat sporadic.

 

Ambiance:  3/5

• As I shared earlier, this newer Fleming's is a bit different than the previous Fleming's as the previous was a bit more old world and rich in woods and sense of classic steakhouse. Again, this is a preference thing--and I was not overly impressed with this newer version.

 

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Michael Mulcahy "Lord Mayor"

 

Overall Experience:  3/5

• Fleming’s Palo Alto at Stanford Shopping Center is a fairly typical corporate owned steakhouse. I personally don’t find anything uniquely Fleming’s that would set it apart from Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris and so many other overstuffed corporate owned steak joints of the world. It is always however a special occasion when the entire group of SV Steakmasters can attend and this was a first. While this was only our second meeting, it really felt like the band was back together and we could take on any challenge.Overall, the place was hoppin’. The bar was active, and every table was full. A corporate gig was happening in the private dining room so that high energy made for a great night. We were able to blend in versus be the group of guys, facing into the entire dining room, being too loud.

• A word on our hosts – a match made in steak heaven – MP and PQ, Ditch Digger and The Dictator – and NO, those aren’t WWF monikers. We started with a great luxury bus ride from the South Bay with steady Eddie at the helm. We arrived a bit on the early side, so instead of overpriced martini’s in the Fleming’s bar, we had beers, vodka rocks with splashes of cran in the vehicle listening to classics on the circa 90s stereo (sorry MP, need that upgrade J). This is the main reason we don’t have much to say about Fleming’s bar. And of course, the bus is where we had the first of many toasts to our co-hosts mother, Marie Preston. Rest in peace. 

 

Food:  4/5

• I started with the Modern Caesar with hearts of romaine, parmesan, fried capers, and crisp prosciutto chips. The salad was crisp and the lettuce chilled like a Caesar should be. The fried capers and prosciutto offered a great salty, crunchy vibe, and the dressing was appropriately tart. I typically douse a little lemon on my Caesar for that lift but this one didn’t need it. A good start.

• I am trying to take bread in moderation these days, so my small test of the bread proved passable but didn’t tempt me to break my bread limitations. I ordered the Prime NY Strip Steak, medium rare, charred with side sauces including béarnaise and peppercorn. It arrived perfectly prepared and tasted just as good as it looked. The sauces came late, first one, then a bit later the other. I couldn’t wait, I like my steak to be eaten hot/warm. The sauces were good, not great, but it didn’t disrupt the happiness of a great steak. The steak knife offered at Fleming’s is a good one, sharp, but not so much that it feels like an illegal weapon.

• I tried the onion rings and spinach from the sides we ordered for the table. The stacked onion rings were a hit, thick onions on the inside and crunchy, milky coating on the outside.

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5

• We brought a “case in a bottle” sized wine offering – courtesy of one of the SVSM members. I stuck with the Vodka, no wine. And while I didn’t hit the bar except for a walk by on my way to the men’s room, the TVs were on and visible from my spot at the half-round with the Warriors game on. Now I hadn’t missed a Dubs game for many weeks, but this was a special night, and they were basically unbeatable. However, this was a great game. Klay hits a 3 at the buzzer to force overtime at 93-93 in Salt Lake. The Warriors take control of the Jazz in OT and win going away to hit the 68-7 mark for the season. As a good steakhouse bar should do it…the right game, no volume, and the appropriate level of hoots and hollers and arm waving at the Warriors historic greatness.

 

Service:  3/5

• We received attention from wait staff, management, maître d, and the wine steward. Our main waiter was a young woman, good energy and perhaps a bit overwhelmed with what to do with our group – but she hung in there. Male or female, my expectations of the wait staff at a steakhouse requires a bit of sophistication, sarcasm, and/or arrogance. Our waitress didn’t have much of any of that. She covered all the required bases, but I don’t remember her name. Make sense? The other staffers that came around were attentive, but again, nothing notable to write about here.

 

Ambiance:  3/5

• Once we made it to the front door, it was clear they knew who we were upon arrival. The hostess led us directly to the pole position, half-round booth big enough for all of us, with two chairs added. We were located just on the other side of the glass from the front door. It was a bit of a fish tank spot, still day light outside, and adjacent to not one, but two tables of families with children. While I have nothing against children in steak joints, I just don’t think that vibe meshed with what SV Steakmasters is all about. I envision dark rooms – no sunlight and low light levels. Now, we were there on a Wednesday night with a 6pm reservation, so it wasn’t the varied families fault for being there. It was ours. So SV Steakmasters might need to consider day and times moving forward.

 

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Case Swenson "Mozyington"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• The experience was a blast as it always is with the Steakmaster group. We could have a blast sitting in the gutter but this was a venue that proved a far sight from that.

 

Food:  3/5

• The food was all around good but nothing really stuck out except for the bowls of whip cream served with desert. The bread and butter combo was not acceptable for a restaurant of that level. The butter was not as fresh as it could be and the bread was a very average baguette. The wedge salad was acceptable but not in my top ten. The steak was acceptable, cooked just right but not hot when it came to the table. Desert was good but nothing that would make me want to go there for the desert alone.

 

Bar:  3/5

• As listed in our last visit, I am not much of a wine drinker so I will defer to the rest of the Steakmasters regarding the wine list. The Vodka soda was typical yet too much ice.

 

Service:  3/5

• The service was a very nice and hard working waitress but needed assistance as our our drink orders were not being filled in a timely fashion. After the meal, I had to ask for re-fills on coffee and water more than once. This was not due to the waitress not working hard, it was a lack of resources from the management.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• Great atmosphere, with the booth being just the right size and incredibly conversation friendly. The wood work in the restaurant was very well done. Also the vertical glass that they tastefully used made the room feel very comfortable and private for such a large restaurant.

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Ron Zraick "RonZ"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Flemings Steakhouse is a stand-alone corporate steakhouse restaurant located in the Stanford Shopping Center.  It is a favorite spot of mine for a Sunday night after shopping prime rib special eaten in the bar, while drinking (in moderation of course) and watching sports on one of the TVs. The servers, bartenders and management are always engaging and accommodating, and they were the night of the Steakmasters. The décor does say “steakhouse” but with a modern feel.  Although it is a “chain” steakhouse the food, beverages and service at the price point is an excellent value.  Not the best steakhouse in the Bay Area, but consistent and relatively affordable.  Our table was a larger “booth” that sat all nine of us comfortably (great to see Case rally and make a grand entrance in time for dinner) “front and center” in the restaurant.  God help those around us.  Overall, Flemings did not disappoint, and I’ll be back for more Sunday night prime rib!

 

Food:  3/5

• A few of us ordered the “surf and turf”, which included choice of salad, a small appetizer, petit filet mignon and lobster tail with drawn butter. Many steakhouses’ menus are only a la carte.  It was nice to sample more than one course as a “meal”.  The appetizer was an empanada, which unfortunately I could not eat, but others at the table said it was very good. I had a simple grilled shrimp, which was a simple grilled shrimp. Flemings’ wedge salad is one of my favorites.  It’s a “deconstructed” wedge, with chunks of iceberg lettuce, a small slab of blue cheese, two slices of bacon and creamy blue cheese dressing.  Unfortunately, the wedge salad they brought as part of my meal was nothing like that and was average as best.  There were a number of sides for the table, and the French fries and asparagus stood out. I ordered my filet medium, and it was slightly overdone.  My steak was a little smaller (no jokes please) than the other filets that were ordered, and I think that is the reason it was closer to medium well to medium.  The meat was tender still.  The lobster tail was a nice addition, and I though it was prepared properly, still moist, not chewy and delicious on its own without the artery clogging drawn butter.  I mostly drank my dessert.

 

Bar:  4/5

• I love the bar at Flemings, but that evening Mr. Ditch Digger was kind enough to provide a “rolling bar” in the form of the Preston Bus.  There’s not a better bar in the Bay Area, so we spent “happy hour” on the freeway driving up in the more than capable hands of Eddie and in the Stanford Shopping Center parking lot enjoying drinks and engaging conversation.  When we sat down at the table, I ordered a Ward 8 cocktail, which is a take on a whiskey sour, and at dinner had the wonderful Cabernet that the Chairman provided.  The bottle was expertly opened and decanted by the general manager, after a failed attempt one of his staff.  A glass of Balvenie 12 year old scotch, neat, finished the meal.

 

Service:  4/5

• Our server, Michelle, was engaging, pleasant and a bit overwhelmed.  Let’s face it, we’re not an easy group for event the most experienced server.  The most sporadic part of the service was drinks before dinner.  She probably cud have spent a little time going around the table each time asking if someone wanted another drink.  Might have saved her some trips and glasses would have remained fuller.  Michelle, like most servers in all but the finest restaurants in Northern California, was adequate, but not outstanding.   However, management and other servers did an excellent job of “shoring things up”, and overall the service was very good.  The Chef came to the table to visit us described the cuts of meat and how they are prepared in a very hot broiler.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• I like the ambiance at Flemings.  It’s light towards the front of the restaurant but got a little darker towards the kitchen.  We sat in a large semicircle booth with some of us in chairs on the outside of the table.  It was comfortable and we were closer to each other than if we were at rectangle table.  I was facing the door, so didn’t really see what was going on in the back of the restaurant. The décor is “modern steakhouse”, with dark colors, but more modern than traditional.  There were a couple of families at tables around us.  It didn’t damper our enthusiasm. Thank you to The Dictator and the Ditch Digger for arranging another memorable Steakmasters outing!!!

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Gary Christensen "Wingman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Similar to LB Steakhouse, Flemings Steakhouse endures a significant challenge to create ambiance at a shopping mall location. While Stanford Shopping Center is certainly an upscale mall there is still no escaping the overall feeling with it’s congested parking, shoppers and traffic. Flemings is located on a satellite pad just outside the mall and they make a good effort to create a first impression with valet parking, pleasant greeters and mouthwatering aroma’s. Others in the group were pleased with the seating arrangements and overall feel. To me it’s just a little too loud and crazy. For this group function it was great and our table was right in the middle of everything. I might have felt different at our large booth near the front door if I was looking for a place to have a nice meal with my family.  The bar is typically full of weary shoppers, college kids with parents in town and local businessmen. We did not partake in the bar this go around but I have been there on occasion and the drinks, service and appetizers are what you might expect at a shopping mall bar. The staff is friendly and energetic but typically a younger less experienced group. This has been my observation in the past and what we experienced this go around. With that said, my glass never went dry (either of them), our waitress always had a smile and there were no significant mistakes with our order.

 

Food:  5/5

• Aside from the bar food that I have experienced in the past I have never been disappointed with and entrée here. I ordered a bone in Ribeye and it was as near perfect as you can get and prepared exactly the way I ordered it. Not the most expensive cut on the menu, dry aged or cloaked in a fancy title. Just a really good cut of meat cooked perfectly and full of flavor. I can’t speak for the seafood, others in the group may have some reviews. The side dishes were also notable with no particular dish standing out above the others, just pretty good food all around. Most places have a “signature” or recommended side dish that stands out above the rest. This place does not. Desserts were all good although uneventful and unnecessary in my opinion after such a great meal.

 

Bar:  5/5

• Maybe the waitress didn’t know all of the answers to our questions on the menu but she kept a watchful eye on the drink service. Cocktail service was prompt and water glasses never fell below half full. The STEAKMASTER group never has a problem with fine wine. You can always count on someone in the group to show up with a beautiful bottle of something. This meal was no exception. I did not bring the wine and did not negotiate with the restaurant to cork or pour it. It was wonderful, nicely paired with the food and provided us with a number of toasts to our friendship and families. We should probably refrain from bringing wine to these events so we can adequately review the restaurants selection and pricing…..what fun is that? If their food is consistently this good they must have an adequate wine selection. Come prepared with an idea of what you want, I’m not sure I would rely on the server’s wine recommendation?

 

Service:  4/5

• Service gets the benefit of a doubt for the never ending smile from Michelle our waitress and quick response time from the rest of the staff. There were initial delays ordering and it seemed at first that we were in for a long night. To be fair, they were busy and the bar was full but they eventually managed to pick up the pace and keep things running smoothly. Also should note that good reviews of the food came at a time when the kitchen and chef had to be completely swamped. We did get a cameo from the head chef. He was understandably preoccupied but nonetheless made the effort to visit our table.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• It’s a great place to go after shopping, work or for a group function like ours. Outside of the bar you will get great food. It’s clean and the layout has a vibrant feel. If you plan your function accordingly you will love this place. Not sure it’s the right place for just the two of you looking for conversation over a nice meal.