This just in: from Friday, July 1-Wednesday, August 31st, you can bring your wine into the K Street location of Fleming's Steakhouse & Wine Bar and enjoy it with your meal without paying a corkage fee.*

"We were just thinking about the economy," explains Operating Partner Bob Andrews. "People have to be economical. Let's say you buy a nice bottle of wine at Costco or the Wine Bank, and you want to go out to dinner. But then you think, 'Oh, I'd have to pay another $20 to get it opened for me.' I'd rather have someone choose Fleming's and come in for a great dinner, knowing that the corkage is going to be waived. I think it's a nice gesture."

"We sell a lot of wine here," continues Andrews. But, he notes, "a place like Costco has some really nice wines. You can buy a nice Cabernet there, and even if I have the same Cabernet, I may have to charge more. I don't have their buying power, obviously, and there are margins and markups that I have to adhere to. So I just thought I'd waive the fee, make things a little more equitable. People have a wonderful bottle of wine, we give them a nice dinner and great service, and everybody's happy."

(Your humble blogger being what he is, I would most likely put the savings toward a glass of bubbly to start. But that's just me.)

*Limit two bottles per visit.