Fleming's Prime Steakhouse   

If anyone knows what America wants in a steakhouse, it's Paul Fleming. Before launching his own dining concept, he developed and operated a little chain called Ruth's Chris. Now, he and co-founder Bill Allen are introducing the country to a different kind of steakhouse -- one that's expansive, contemporary and warm instead of dark, masculine and clubby. A hundred wines are available by the glass, almost another hundred by the bottle. It adds a whole new dimension to the dining experience. Food-wise, Fleming's can hold its own with any of the old boys' clubs. Tasty appetizers and fresh, inventive salads make way for thick cuts of prime beef, served a tad rarer than at most places, on a piping-hot plate. Everything's a la carte, but a single side dish can easily serve two. Restaurants, whether in Austin or Boston, feature the same golden-toned lighting, roomy leather booths and burnished wood paneling. The wine-by-the-glass list is easy to read and understand, and the ambience is comfortable and lively -- just as the founders intended it to be.