Bib Gourmand: Affordable Michael Mina? Unpossible!!!

Yes, “Michael Mina” and “affordable” are rarely found in the same sentence (and by “rarely”, I mean never-ever) however, allow me to be the first. You see, I feel kinda bad that my Bang-For-Your-Buck Award (The Power Lunch @ Aqua) is no longer available. It's not like I wanted to taunt you with “Neener-neener gentle reader. I took advantage of this awesome find, but didn't share it with you until it was gone – MWHAHAHA!”. I didn't want to make anybody a Sad Panda. Fortunately, The Foodie has found a suitable replacement! If 3-courses at a 2-star Michelin restaurant for $45 for lunch sounded good, then 3-courses (with more selections) at a 2-star Michelin restaurant for $55 for DINNER should sound at least as good, amirite? Even better, a wine pairing for the 3-courses is merely an additional $20. AND, assuming you're an Opentable user (and if you're not, you're a tard...I'm just sayin') you can get 1000 points (i.e. $10 worth of credit) at the same time, bringing the net cost to $45. “Unpossible!”, you say. I assure you it is, indeed, very real. In fact, I'm going there again tonight :D

The hidden gem I'm speaking of is the Pre Theater Tasting Menu At Michael Mina and you can view the current menu right here. (And by current, I mean, as I type this. If you're reading this three months later it might be completely different, so just check their website @ michaelmina.net). Go ahead, view it...I'll wait...

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I'll bet you're hungry now, right? I don't blame you. Seriously, it's like a Now That's What I Call Music compilation of Michael Mina's greatest hits. Signature dishes like the Ahi Tuna Tartare, Maine Lobster Pot Pie and Root Beer Float are all there! They are, of course, paired down in size from the regular menu, but that's kind of the point of a tasting menu anyways. You still get all the flavors and techniques, just in more elf-like portions (but not TOO small). Let's put it this way, The Foodie is a big guy (and has been know to order TWO main courses @ One Market because he couldn't decide which to have) and left plenty satisfied with this menu.

And the wine pairing is DEFINITELY something you should take advantage of. Mina's flagship restaurant is known for having one of the best wine lists in The City, if not the state, and each dish is paired with a wine specifically chosen to go with it. It's not like the wishy-washy sommeliers that do that touchy-feely 'well-what-do-you-like' thing.And, for the record, if I KNEW what I liked/wanted, I wouldn't NEED the sommelier! Stop it already! YOU'RE the expert!!! YOU tell ME what wine would go best with this dish!!! It's not therapy and I don't want my hand held...I want your expert friggin' opinion!!! So just tell me, pretty boy! And why the If You Seek Amy don't you wear giant KEYS around you neck any more!!! I LIKED those novetly sized keys that opened nothing you pretentious poof!!! Ooops...sorry about that. I kind of went off there. Where was I? Oh yeah...the wine pairing. Better still, it's all food wine. That is, you taste it and you're like, 'It's okay. Pretty good, but not something I would have picked.' but THEN you take a taste of the food and 'BAM!!!'. The wine makes the food taste better and the food makes the wine taste better and there's a party going on in your mouth.

Alas, there is, of course, a “catch” to this menu, but for some (i.e. me) it works to our advantage. The Pre Theater Menu is available ONLY from 5:30 (when they open) to 6:00 – a 30-minute window of opportunity. Given it's title, it kind of makes sense, they have a lot of similar deals at places in Vegas. I mean, you're not likely to show up at Michael Mina @ 7:00 to catch the 8:00 show of Wicked, now are you? So, if you work in The City, it's perfect. Dress extra-nice for work, get off work and show up for your early reservation. Simple as that. If you DON'T work in The City and have a nine-to-five gig...yeah...more problematic. You'd prolly have to bust @$$ thru commute traffic just to make it there at the crack of six. Do-able, but not quite as easy. In that case, you could always go on a SAT (they're closed SUN and MON. Yes, I knew that off the top of my head. I'm a geek.). Reservations might be a little tougher to get and you can't get the 1000 bonus Opentable points, but it might be better than trying to rush thru reverse-commute traffic on a weekday. But, either way, Micheal Mina is one of those places you HAVE to try to fill out your Culinary Bingo Card and when you can do it for a fraction of the price, you don't want to miss out!