Beef Flemington, a beef filet wrapped in puff pastry with mushroom duxelle stuffing and Madeira wine sauce. In back is jumbo grilled asparagus with roasted red peppers.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar opened in October on the ground level of the Westin Hotel in downtown Providence.

Those who don’t adore steak house dining will ask why we need another one in Providence. What does Fleming’s have that the Capital Grille, XO Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House don’t have?

Fleming’s is both a wine bar and a steak house. While their competition all offer extensive wine lists of bottles, Fleming’s offers 100 wine choices by the glass. That can be fun if you like to try new things or if you have favorites. Sixty wines make up Fleming’s national selections, which are available at every restaurant across the country. The other 40 are chosen by the local wine managers to reflect regional tastes.

Beyond that, Fleming’s offers the big steaks and À la carte side dishes that are the signatures of all steak houses. And yet like the others, it’s the fine appetizers and desserts that are most memorable. This is where the kitchen’s creativity, under executive chef Michael Civali, shines. He graduated from the International Institute of Culinary Arts in Fall River before working at the Sea Fare Inn in Portsmouth and OceAnna in New Bedford. He comes to Fleming’s from the Bay Voyage Inn in Jamestown.

Ahi Tuna as art

Meat and potatoes might be big and hearty but they don’t have the sophistication and artful presentation of his Ahi Tuna first course ($13.95). This was beautifully presented with thin seared slices of peppered tuna, rare as requested, circling a tower built with wafer-thin, fresh ginger slices. A spicy mustard sauce is drizzled on the plate and served in a small bowl. Just in case that isn’t enough heat for a diner, there’s wasabi formed into a delicate ball and served on the side for more bite.

Also pleasing was the French onion soup ($8.95) as the night was rainy and chilly and little could offer more comfort than soup. Fleming’s is nicely done in a square white bowl. The dish is well balanced with plenty of the cheese blend of Gruyère, Swiss and Parmesan to support the onions, broth and bread. There’s nothing worse than ending up with only onions in one’s bowl.

The menu offers a nice range of items and nightly specials (including a mixed grill with steak and lobster for $54.95). In New England, fish such as red grouper, sea bass, skate wing, local scallops and striped bass will all make it on the menu on occasion, said chef Civali.

There are the obligatory filet mignons, New York strips and rib-eye steaks (priced from $28.95 to $39.95). But a variety of seafood includes scallops, salmon, crab legs and a chilled seafood tower appetizer, which is very dramatic, with tiers of shellfish and accompaniments. Aside from beef, veal, pork chops and chicken breasts take a place on the menu.

Savory Beef Flemington

I opted away from the big steaks for Beef Flemington ($30.95), a tender filet wrapped in puff pastry with a mushroom duxelle and Madeira sauce. The meat was excellent and tender and a lovely aroma of malt wafted from the dish. After my visit, chef Civali explained the aroma comes from a combination of the duxelle stuffing, which has a hint of brandy along with the Madeira sauce. The puff pastry seals the natural aroma, and when you break the pastry open, voilÀ. The scent offered a nice contrast to the savory meat.

The Australian Lamb Chops ($32.95) is a hearty dish with a pound of tender meat in the form of three double-thick broiled chops. The meat is imported and is not gamey in the least. I loved the delicate dipping sauce of mint-infused Champagne made with veal demi glace that accompanied it for the sparkle it afforded the meat. Though mint is the classic accompaniment for lamb, this sauce has nothing in common with a jelly. Rather it is light and fresh with aromatics offering a subtle but still powerful flavor.

With the lamb, our server suggested a glass of Clos Du Bois, North Coast, 2004, Merlot ($10) that promised aromas of black cherry, ripe plums and red currant. It was a nice choice.

On Sunday, a prime rib dinner includes a salad or side dish and dessert ($32.95). Otherwise, everything is À la carte. Sides are family style and many are tempting. While some might revel in the thin shoestring potatoes that were neatly seasoned with salt and pepper, I favored the Fleming’s potatoes. This casserole of thinly sliced potatoes was blended with Cheddar cheese and jalapeño peppers, which gave it a nice pop. I scraped away the layer of top cheese, as it was a bit excessive for me.

We debated three other side dishes, the sautÉed spinach, grilled asparagus and sautÉed mushrooms. We settled on the mushrooms ($8.95), since the other two are best enjoyed in season but we found there to be too much garlic in the sautÉ, which detracted from the wonderful flavor of the meaty portobello and delicate button mushrooms.

Standout desserts

The bargain of the evening was a sampler of four desserts ($14.95) beautifully presented on a long white plate with fresh whipped cream. The portions for each were not mini at all but satisfying. Three were real standouts. The baked peach cobbler had a perfectly crispy brown sugar streusel packed on yummy peach slices marinated with peach schnapps, cinnamon and nutmeg. The chocolate lava cake is served to order and requires 20 minutes prep time. So it arrives warm and full of molten chocolate center and fresh as can be with a side of vanilla ice cream and chopped pistachio. While the slice of cheesecake was tall, creamy and airy and served with whipped cream and white chocolate shavings, it was the blueberry sauce, all juicy and full of antioxidants, that was excellent. Only the mini crème brûlÉe disappointed, as the custard was a bit soupy and hadn’t set.

Everything else is well set at Fleming’s, from the attentive service to the little extras like the bread basket. Crisp, sourdough rounds were served with a wonderful spread of Cheddar and Pinot Grigio. One dip and I was hooked. Even the rounds are dipped in lemon garlic butter before cooking, to add to the layer of desirable flavors.

We started dinner with margaritas, which were tart and terrific though I was surprised to see mine (tequila served straight up) was $10.95 while one on the rocks was $9.95. There is an extensive cocktail menu and many specialty drinks.

The dÉcor is very comfortable and the ambiance warm and welcoming. Dark woods are decorated with wine photos and bottles are on display at every turn to remind diners this is a wine bar as well as a steak house. A carpet keeps the sounds in control and it’s easy to peek into the open kitchen from which wonderful aromas emanate.

While the tablecloths and napkins are white, guests are offered black napkins should they be dining in black and don’t want lint on their laps. It’s one of many nice touches that Fleming’s offers to set it apart in the steak house sweepstakes.Bill of fare

A three-course dinner for two at Fleming’s might look like this:

Echelon Pinot Noir…$8.25

Clos Du Bois Merlot…$10.00

French Onion Soup…$8.95

Seared Ahi Tuna…$13.95

Beef Flemington…$30.95

Lamb chops…$32.95

Shoestring potatoes…$7.95

Fleming’s Potatoes…$8.50

Dessert sampler…$14.95

Total food and drink…$136.45

Tax…$10.91

Tip…$27.00

Total bill…$174.36

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 1 West Exchange St., Providence, (401) 533-9000, www.flemingssteakhouse.com. Upscale. Reservations. Valet parking $6. Wheelchair accessible. Highchairs. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Dinner served Monday to Wednesday 5 to 10 p.m.; Thursday and Friday until 11 p.m. Saturday 4:30 to 11 p.m.; Sunday 4 to 9 p.m. Appetizers $8.95-$26; entrees $23.50-$38.95; salads and sides $7.95-$10.95; desserts $8.95 to $14.95. Extensive wine list with 100 by the glass.

gciampa@projo.com