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RN74, because I love the atmosphere. And the food and wine pairings are awesome!!!
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris.
Primavera's chilaquiles with horchata.
AMERICAN FISH because I really like the creativity in the bar program. Chef Josh is rock solid when it comes to technique and execution of cuisine, too!
Living, eating and working in Paris in 2005. The food excursion to Spain was mind-blowing!
Dr. Brown's Cream Soda and a hot pastrami on rye from Katz's Deli.
BOURBON STEAK, Washington, D.C. — Not only are the staff really excited when we come to visit the restaurant and work on new ideas with them, but the commitment to product and food in general is infectious. Past the amazing relationships that they have with their farmers and ranchers, they have taken over a good portion of the Four Seasons’ flower beds for herbs and veggies…it’s awesome!
I am constantly drawn to restaurants and dining experiences where there is a heavy dose of the unique, the quirky or the just plain fun. I love to see someone doing it completely their way, producing food that they believe in or are cooking for themselves before they are trying to cook for anyone else.
Krug Rosé, latkes, smoked salmon, crème fraîche and caviar.
MICHAEL MINA, San Francisco because they have great food and I’ve never felt as if I were being “taken” moneywise as I did many times in other SF fine dining restaurants. (This experience made an impression on me before working for Mina Group.)
The French Laundry. I went with my family before our wedding. It was five people, 2x2x1 each course for 23 courses!
Tommy's Mexican Restaurant's margaritas with their chips and salsa. I think the margaritas would make anything taste better.
My favorite opening was Detroit because of the enormous task of opening two restaurants on the same day in a brand-new MGM casino! We must have had 200 employees and task force combined for this exciting opening.
Ten-course white truffle dinner with Roberto Donna at his flagship Galileo in Washington, D.C. in 1998! Amazing!! Even the dessert and cheese courses had white truffle all over the place. It still ranks up there with the best of the best (my mother was there, so this may have some influence here).
Right now, it is the angel hair pasta with uni and ikura and fresh wasabi from our local Japanese tapas restaurant, Yakasan, paired with an ice-cold Sapporo Reserve. Ask me again next week and I may have a newly discovered ultimate pairing for you!
STRIPSTEAK because of the energy of the room and the ability to produce amazing food at such a high volume night after night.
Lunch with my father at French Laundry. It was an indescribable meal on a beautiful day in the fall of 2001.
Chilled vodka and caviar.
RN74 in San Francisco. I love classic food. The team there does an amazing job with letting the food represent itself. I particularly enjoyed the house-made head cheese and pickled seasonal vegetables.
Having the ultimate bowl of chicken pho in the night market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I was sitting on a milk crate and all I can think of was how wonderful the stock and spicy chicken tasted. I will go back just for that.
The first beer I had after coming back from Iraq with a Double-Double, Animal Style from In-N-Out Burger. Don’t take the little things for granted!
Michael Mina San Francisco
Chatuchak Market Bangkok,Thailand. I was intrigued by the incredible smells, the wide variety of incredible colors and flavors are unforgettable, as is the humidity!
Eating perigord truffle, frog legs, and sipping Chartreuse.
My favorite Mina restaurant to this day is BOURBON STEAK, Washington, D.C. It is a fantastic restaurant in a landmark location, has a great following, and the network of farmers and fishermen supporting our program there is second to none. It is my favorite restaurant to visit when I am on the road.
My favorite food experiences typically involve discovering hidden gems — great dishes, ingredients and restaurants in places where others fail to look.
My ultimate food and beverage pairings tend to be very classically based — Scotch with caramel, lamb with Bordeaux, morels with Vin Jaune or beer with cheeseburgers!
My favorite restaurant other than StripSteak in the Michael Mina Group is RN74 in San Francisco. The reason why it's my favorite is because the dining room has an upbeat feeling with a comfortable ambiance, which lead me to feel adventurous when it came to tasting different wines. The culinary artistry that I had was some of the the best I had in San Francisco.
My favorite food experience is when I am at home cooking up all kinds of tasty treats with my family and closest friends.
My ultimate food and beverage pairing is "Bubbles," A.K.A. Champagne and Golden Osetra Caviar