2 new houses

Two more groups of stalwarts are rushing in to address our desperate shortage of steakhouses. One is a case of West Coast coming east, the other of a well-established local beefing up its branches. Both Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Edgewater, N.J., and Frankie & Johnnie's on West 37th Street have all the essentials and more.

Whether you prefer gazing across the Hudson at Manhattan or ruminating in actor John Drew Barrymore's library, you'll find that these newcomers spread a polished welcome mat for even the casually clad and take their plastic, too.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (2 stars)

90 The Promenade

Edgewater, N.J.

(201) 313-9463

Wines: 190 choices, 125 by the glass

Noise Level: Lively

Price Range: $19-$34.95

Wine Markup: 100%-250%

Reservations: Recommended

Hours: Dinner, Mon.-Thurs., 5-10 p.m., Fri., 5-11 p.m., Sat., 4:30-11 p.m., Sun., 4-9 p.m.

Guests at fleming's prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar recently spotted owners of the River Palm Terrace restaurants, perhaps the state's most popular beef boites, fielding a tableful of tasters to scope out their new competitor. With the Strip House taking off in Livingston, the Garden State Steaks match is lighting up.

Located on the Hudson in Edgewater development The Promenade, Fleming's is the 19th in a national chain created by industry veterans Paul Fleming and Bill Allen in 1998. This is the first in the tristate area. The restaurant's approach is to be female friendly, and more friendly in general, than many of its prime peers. It also boasts more than 100 wines by the glass, which can be sampled in two-ounce flights.

Smiles start flying at the valet parkers (the service is $5), spread to four young women at the entrance podium, and extend not only to the waitstaff, but even to some of the sizable crew in the vast open kitchen sweeping one wall of Fleming's.

The warm interior features cherry-wood accents, alabaster chandeliers, well-spaced seating, and the splendid sunset glazing the glass walls of the city across the river. Bread and rolls are warm, too, something notable these days.

There are some vivacious new wrinkles among appetizers ($6.50 to $12.95). Five crisp rectangles of baked brie surround apple slices and a red jalape[currency]o pepper jelly. Rice noodles flank a modest handful of fried calamari in sweet chili sauce reminiscent of a stir-fry. My favorite is bruschetta layered with smoked salmon, cream cheese and sun-dried tomato relish. It's hard to account for sodden bread under otherwise pleasing "wicked Cajun barbecued shrimp.'' Spicy mustard sauce goes well on a salad of fresh vegetables served with seared ahi tuna.

Fleming's steaks, which are aged up to four weeks and come in 8- to 22-ounce sizes, are broiled at 1,600 degrees and finished with butter. The result is a lightly charred exterior sealing in the juices for knives to reveal. Both peppercorn and bearnaise sauces, available on request, are spicy.

Broiled veal chops and baked pork chops are high-rise and flavorful; a double breast of chicken is less compelling. Charred salmon filet lives up to its billing and is dark as pitch. A lusty swordfish steak competes fairly with the meats, even with its California salsa of mango, cilantro and red onions.

Cheese and robust seasonings resound through side dishes ($4.50 to $6.95). Creamed spinach is a virtual fondue of parmesan sauce. Even the hollandaise with broccoli or asparagus is spiked with heat and thick enough to stand a spoon in. Fleming's signature potatoes-about a pound of them-are scalloped and replete with cream, cheddar cheese and jalape[currency]os.

I wouldn't wait 20 minutes for not-very-molten chocolate cake, but warm berry cobbler and key lime pie are good. Not so was an overlooked request to delete pistachios from ice cream, a request by a patron with a peanut allergy. He spotted the lapse before digging in.

Otherwise, Fleming's service is abundant, professional and pleasant.

Frankie & Johnnie's (2 stars)

32 W. 37th St.

(212) 947-8940

Wines: 200 choices, 20 by the glass

Noise Level: Moderate

Price Range: $18-$42

Wine Markup: 150%-300%

Reservations: Recommended

Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Fri., noon-2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Mon.-Thurs., 4:30-10:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 4:30-11 p.m.

The latest frankie & johnnie's, in the former Barrymore townhouse, stages some of the city's most show-stopping steaks. In a recent poll by the Citysearch Web site, Frankie & Johnnie's was voted best steakhouse in Manhattan, and second only to Peter Luger in the city.

There are four F&J's-the original 1926 model upstairs on West 45th Street, offspring in Hoboken, N.J., and Rye, N.Y., and this one, formerly and variously known as the 37th Street Hideaway, The Hideaway and the Red Blazer Hideaway. Since several generations of the owning families are now running them, there may be more.

The one constant on 37th Street is Van Panopoulos, the dapper operating partner. This is his 40th year at the location, and he is as excited as a teenager about the quality of his food and hospitality. The kitchen and menu are bigger here, and there is more room for guests to relax, and wines to be stored.

Steakhouse tradition is observed in the raw bar shellfish, seafood cocktails and fresh salads. Among appetizers ($6 to $15), lobster bisque and French onion soup are givens. Smoked salmon, tuna tartare, filet mignon carpaccio and shrimp scampi are done with skill.

Some items soar. Lush, sweet crab cakes have fresh chives poking through a golden thatched roof of fried potatoes. Clams casino are both delicate and zesty, with a generous sprinkling of crunchy pancetta nuggets.

Other tried-and-true classics are saluted here, notably a surf-and-turf combination of an eight-inch filet mignon and a marvelous lobster tail of equal dimension. Drawn butter is served with the lobster, and Frankie & Johnnie's Steak Sauce with the beef.

The sauce is pretty mild stuff, and steaks here need no added seasoning. They are superb as is, grilled impeccably to order, crusty outside and bursting with juicy, rich, marbled goodness. The porterhouse is offered in portions for up to three people. Lamb, veal and pork chops are generous; lobsters range to five pounds; and there are salmon, scampi and sea bass dishes as well.

Don't overlook the pasta options. It's a rare steakhouse indeed that bothers to prepare risotto with porcini mushrooms.

As a first course, penne tossed with smoked chicken, diced asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes is a delightful choice en route to steak.

Greaseless cottage fries lead the eight potato variations, but some sides disappoint, and most desserts seem commercial.