Anniversary Dinner at Fleming's

The night Scott and I got married on March 14, 2008, we had dinner at Smith & Wollensky's at Easton.  Scott had reserved the wine room for us, so we were tucked away from the crowd.  It was cozy and charming and we were so happy to be married.  I remember feeling content.  The temperature outside that evening was mild-- springlike and misting a light rain.  I love rainy evenings when the temperatures are that unique spring blend of warm and cool .  There is something so.....quiet about it.  That's how I felt that evening.  Quiet.  Peaceful.   

The food we had at Smith & Wollensky's was amazing.  Truly amazing.  Ridiculous.  By far, the best food I have ever eaten.  (and the most expensive meal I have ever had in a restaurant!  still less expensive than a big wedding reception, though.....)  Scott and I savored every bite of the oscar-style filets that we ordered.  Anyone who thinks they get good steaks at places like Outback has never had a really good steak.  Smith & Wollensky's is just in a different class.

Scott and I enjoyed our meal so much, we decided that it would become our tradition.  Every year on our anniversary, we would dine at Smith & Wollensky's.  And, we did on our anniversary in 2009; our first anniversary. 

Our second anniversary, in 2010, presented a logistical challenge to our tradition.  Scott was living in Columbus and I was living in Madison.  Not only did that preclude us from dining together for our second anniversary....we didn't even see each other on that day.  It was depressing.

Our wedding anniversary this year, 2011, brought good news and bad news.
The bad news first?  No dinner at Smith & Wollensky's (and that's not even that bad!)   

The good news?  Scott and I are together.  There are no words to describe how happy that makes me.  I was so, so, so happy to just look at my husband on our anniversary-- to lay my eyes on him--to wake up and see him first thing this morning--to kiss him good-bye when I left for work--to spend the day knowing that when the work day was done, I would come home to him.  I touched Scott's face repeatedly throughout the day.  It was all the "happy anniversary" I needed.

While just being together was more than enough to satisfy me, we did decide to go out for an anniversary dinner.  There would be no dining at Smith & Wollensky's, however, since there isn't one in Madison.  There are some other nice steakhouses here, though.  We decided to go to a place named Fleming's by Hilldale mall.

           

The inside of Fleming's was nice.  Dark.  Cozy.  Typical upscale steakhouse.

Fleming's offers 100 different wines by the glass.  That's a generous selection.  We opted to share a bottle instead of ordering by the glass.  I'm no connoisseur, but I have been enjoying the malbec variety of wine- which I was turned onto by the woman who owns my favorite little shop downtown, Savior Faire.  Scott and I ordered a brand named Pascual Toso.  It was decent and I really liked the big, bulbous wine glasses.

After pouring both Scott and I a glass of wine, the server asked if she could decant the wine for us.  Sure thing. 

This would be my woolly-bearded husband peeking at the decanter.

He decided it didn't look like there was much wine in it.  Below, he is pointing on the decanter to the level where he thinks the wine should be.  It was was 14% alcohol.  If we drank to the level Scott is point at, we would have been wasted and calling for a cab to bring us back to Stoughton.

Scott wanted an appetizer.  Our server told us the calamari at Fleming's was "to die for", so we ordered it.  It was good, no doubt.  To die for?  I wouldn't go that far.

Below is my adorable husband.  Is he cute or what?  He sent me the most loving e-mail message yesterday while I was at work.  So sweet.  On the way home after dinner last night, he told me "I love your person and what you stand for."  I don't think there is any better gift than kind, affirming words spoken.

As much as I love him, and I do, I still have to tease him sometimes.  Remember my mantra from previous posts?  Here it is:  You know I love my husband, right?  You know I adore him, right?  The mantra is usually followed by some kind of comment about hillbilly behavior.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of the table right in front of where Scott had eaten the bread we were served at Fleming's.  See all those crumbs?  Yep.  A little bit hillbilly......

.....although I think "bottoms up" on the wine glass was even more hillbilly.  Although, admittedly, it did make me laugh.

As per our tradition, Scott and I ordered oscar style filets for dinner.  The menu didn't offer oscar style, we had to ask for it.  Lump crab meat.  Bearnaise sauce.  All for the bargain price of an additional $11.95.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but below is the filet I ordered.  Medium rare and cooked to perfection. 

The sides were portioned for two, so we shared blue-cheese mashed potatoes.  They were good, but nothing to write home about (but apparently enough to write on a blog about.....)

While, granted, I often tease Scott about being a crazy hillbilly, unbelievably there was someone in Fleming's who out-hillbillied him.  See the dude below in the white t-shirt?  OMG.  I watched him in utter fascination.  He came in wearing jeans and a flimsy t-shirt.  OK.  That's not too bad.  The days of dressing up even for fine dining are largely over, and I'm glad about that.  What was killing me, though, was the dude holding his fork like a pencil, way down at the bottom close to the tines.  He was then using his knife, not to cut but to saw his steak.  At one point, he even waived his hand- with the knife in it- to flag down his server.  The icing on the cake was when he took a drink.  He didn't put the fork and knife down so he could pick up his glass.  He kept both in his hands and just leaned over and put his face down until he reached the straw with his mouth.  God love him.

No one ever said fine dining is cheap.  At this price (*gulp*), it's a good thing our anniversary only comes once a year.  My Mom sent us an anniversary check for 200 bucks.  I think she would be mortified if she knew we spent every penny of it on one meal.  We won't tell.  What she doesn't know won't hurt her.

When you arrive at Fleming's and ask to be seated, the hostess inquires as to if you are celebrating a special occasion.  Scott told her it was our anniversary.  To that end, a 'happy anniversary' greeting card was brought to us at our table and, at the end of the meal, they sent home with us the small golden box below as a 'special gift'.

Inside that golden box were 4 chocolates.  Those were the most delicious, decadent chocolates ever.  Soft, creamy, rich.  Seriously.  Orgasmic.  I told Scott that I thought the before-the-tip $163 we spent on dinner was worth it just because of the chocolates alone.   

That about sums up our 3rd anniversary dinner at Fleming's.  We had a lovely evening but, quite frankly, we could have dinner at White Castle and I would have been just as happy.  I feel so fortunate to have Scott in my life.  Everything about my life is better with him in it.