View Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Restaurant Profile
Oliver Robinson is a Birmingham native who started in the restaurant business, while still in high school, at Grady's in Riverchase. His interest and talent in creating his own cuisines then led him to J. Alexander's, Ruth Chris, Azalea's, and Hot & Hot.
Robinson arrives at Fleming's by 8:30 each morning to plan and prepare dinner-even though the doors don't open until 5:00 p.m. "I create seasonal specials of the day using flavor combinations, textures, and spices that pair well together," he describes. These include daily mixed grills (seafood and steak) and a soup of the day. "October is a transitional month, so both fruit and root vegetables are used. Later in fall and winter, heartier sauces and more red meat features are added. Then it's back to lighter meats and seafood features in the spring and summer."
By early afternoon, Robinson is busy hand carving meats and seafood for both the specials and the standardized menu. Afterwards he begins putting the features together. And one hour before opening, he performs a line check for quality and freshness. "Everything is made from scratch, both daily and nightly, including sauces and dressings. I am a fresh first person. I inspect the food at the door and won't accept anything but the best," Robinson assures. Although less than one percent of all beef is prime, at Fleming's 100 percent of the beef is prime. "I cut the meat so that nothing is left over for the next day. I'd rather run out than have it left over." And by the time the doors open for dinner, Robinson-who has already done a day's work-gets things cooking in the kitchen.
View Chefs' Secrets Recipe & Techniques: Bearnaise Sauce