YA Turkey City.
Fleming's is better than Ruth's Chris, in my opinion. Just slightly better, perhaps, but still better.
Why?
Lawrence is right: capatalism leads to choices, and choices are good. Make mine Fleming's.
The Saturday Dining Conspiracy notes with sadness the passing of Ruth Fertel, founder of the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse chain, on April 16, 2002. Our condolences to her family and friends.
Given that it was time to do the Serious Steak thing yet again, and given the new tipping policy at Ruth's Chris, we decided to give Fleming's a try. (Note: This is not to be confused with Reid Fleming's Steakhouse, home of the World's Toughest Steak.)
An upscale chain, Fleming's just opened a branch near the Convention Center, the better to capture all that expense account business. It certainly looks upscale, being decorated in elegant wood (redwood or cherry) and understated lighting, with the glass enclosed winerooms making a very attractive touch, giving them the edge over Ruth's Chris in the decoration sweepsteaks. (The men's room is much better designed than the cramped version at Ruth's Chris, quite commodious (sorry, couldn't resist) and very attractive; it just needs an imaginative touch or two to boost it up to a full five stars.)
We started with the calamari, which was very good but not exceptional. My ceaser salad was a little on the bland side (even for a ceaser salad), and can't really compare to Ruth's Chris' enormous offerings; if I make a return visit to Fleming's, I'll opt for another salad. For a side I had the onion rings, which were quite credible, though I do prefer the onion offerings at The Outback or Texas Land & Cattle Co.; however, the chipolte mayonnaise dipping sauce that came with the onion rings was first rate, and I ended up dipping my steak in it. The ribeye I had was very good Prime steak, well prepared and tender, but not quite as delicious or "vertical" as that offered at Ruth's Chris. My crème brulee was excellent. Service was uniformly excellent. I didn't notice if they had a heinous tipping policy, as there were only four of us dining (Dwight, Andrew, Andrew's father, and myself).
In the Fleming's vs. Ruth's Chris war, the tally is: Decor, Appetizers, Sides (and possibly tips): Advantage Fleming's: Parking, Salads, Steaks: Advantage Ruth's Chris. (Dessert was a draw.) The verdict? I think that Ruth's Chris still has a slight edge overall, but it's a real race. Isn't the free market a wonderful thing?
This was a bit of a disappointment. Java Grill is run by the former owner of Java Noodles, which is still a great place to eat, so I was expecting Java Noodles quality.
Unfortunately, Java Grill falls just short of that mark: I think the beef stewed in coconut milk and spices is good, but falls just short of the equivalent at Java Noodles. The calamari seemed expensive for what you got, and weren't very impressive anyway. Most of my fellow diners seemed unimpressed with their dishes as well, except for Andrew "Lobster Boy" Wimsatt: his dish was well presented, and I didn't hear any taste complaints from him.
I do want to like Java Grill: there's more variety to the menu than Java Noodles, and they seem like nice people. The night we were there, the place was almost empty: given the size (I think this location used to be an Austin Java Company), that can't be good news for them. I'm going to go back, just to make sure we didn't catch them on an off night: but, for right now, I can't recommend a cross-town drive. I do wish I could.
(November 2003 update: sadly, they didn't last. However, Java Noodles is still pretty good.)
I think I ordered the wrong thing.
If I had ordered the beef dish Dwight's ordered, instead of the "spicy beef" (the last beef entry on the menu), I think I would have enjoyed Java Grill more. I asked for my usual "very, very hot," and they at least got that right, but there was way too much cilantro and basil in it.
The appetizers were fine, though the calamari seemed distinctly on the chintzy side. The soup was tasty, but the vegetable chunks in it were: A.) Odd (what the hell are string beans doing in Asian soup?), and B.) A lot bigger than I care for (see Dwight's rant on tomatoes and apply that to big chunks of cabbage in soup). Service was a bit scattered, with drink refills taking longer than they should, but it wasn't actively bad. Prices were reasonable. And the presentation on Andrew "enemy of crustaceans" Wimsatt's lobster was very nice indeed.
So far, Java Grill isn't quite up to the level of quality and value Java Noodles (which was started by the same people) has achieved. But I'm willing to give them another try.
I really don't have anything new to say about Castaways. I still like the food okay, but I've become a bit burned out on it. For the style of food that I usually get (such as the fried seafood platter) I'm starting to prefer Razoo's Cajun Cafe or Rockfish. Castaways is still a worthwhile choice, though.
Again, I have very little to say about Castaways that I haven't said on previous occasions. My Alaskan King Crab legs were excellent (though you need to eat them before they cool down, or the very outer skin on the meat starts to get a little chewy, which is not an issue for smaller crab legs; of course, I ordered a full pound of them as well...). Everything else was just fine, though the corn fritters seemed just a touch dark and overdone compared to previous visits. The gator bites were tasty and the service was excellent.
If you want generous quantities of good-to-excellent seafood at very reasonable prices, and don't mind driving to Round Rock, then Castaways is a great choice.
See the logs for May of 2002.