Middle’terranea The Mina Test Kitchen
What is The Mina Test Kitchen: James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina and Chef Partner Adam Sobel are joining forces to create the first pop-up dinner series in The MINA Test Kitchen.
What is the cuisine: The cuisine is a variety of eastern Mediterranean cuisine, combining the flavors of Israel, Turkey, Egypt and Lebanon with a family-style, California-cuisine approach.
How long will Middle’terranea last: It began Thursday, July 23 and ends Saturday Oct 24th. Hurry up and get in to visit if you have not already!
What is the next concept: Stay tuned for the next concept announcement, for the moment it’s under wraps!
What is the cost: Tickets are $45 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. An optional beverage pairing is available for $39 per person. I experienced the beverage pairing and highly recommend it. It was extremely well thought out and really made dining decision less. You showed up and the entire menu from the first cocktail to the wine pairings was decided for you. Super easy, relaxing, fun, and the beverages paired perfectly with the culinary menu.
What was the food like: The food here is wonderful. Chef Adam and Chef Michael did a fabulous job of incorporating various cuisines and flavors into the menu. Having just returned from Morocco in May (read about Moroccan dining here), visiting Middle’Terranea shortly after was perfect since I could appreciate the authenticity of the menu.
What were my favorite dishes: When thinking about what my favorite dishes were (as I always try to have a favorite or two) I realized all of the starters; the Salads and Hummus dishes were the winners. Probably because they were so unique from anything you’d typically find in the United States. For example, I’ve experienced a Whole-Roasted Chicken many times, however, enjoying the Brokaw Avocado Salad with the Kataifi (crunchy like filo pastry) is not something typically found on a menu. The Fish & Aromatic Broth was for sure my favorite main and for the vegetable sides I’d say try them all! As evident, I loved all the food, the beverages, the spectacular team, and the experience so I highly recommend you visit and see for yourself. 2120 Greenwich Street. San Francisco, CA 94123
The first cocktail pre dinner which was divine
The Greet Course including the Frozen Limonana and Olive Oil-Drizzled Tenbrink White Peach, Sea Salt & Basil Popsicle. This was a very light palette cleanser that was super refreshing and yummy.
Berbere-Spiced Tuna, Fried Eggplant Dip, Crispy Zucchini, Pickled Chilies, Labneh, Spearmint. This was the first dish after The Greet Popsicle and it really set the mood for the delicious Mediterranean meal we were about to experience. I loved the combination of the Eggplant, Zucchini, and flavorful spearmint in this dish.
Our fabulous server, Todd, was beyond friendly, knowledgeable, and really made the visit extremely special. Thanks again Todd! This was the wine pairing that went with the three Salad Courses, aka the Salatim Course on the menu.
Brokaw avocado, pickled hot peppers and summer vegetables, fried walnuts, kataifi, schug
Watercress, Lovage and Mint Salad, Toasted Pistachio, Persian cucumbers, Watermelon and Olive Oil soaked Halloumi
Heirloom Tomatoes and Shaved Spring Onions, crunchy Farro, Toasted Sesame, Coriander Blossoms, Tahina in a Spicy Lime Dressing. This was my favorite of the three salads. Look at it, the tomatoes could not have been any more ripe or in season– plus, I loved the crunchy Farro and Toasted Sesame both unexpected but a perfect combination to the light Spring Onions. This was divine!
Fried Cauliflower and Crispy Chicken Skin Hummus, Roasted Garlic, Dried Cherries and Fresh Marjoram. This was one of my favorite starters, as I love the combination of Hummus with the Cauliflower and delicious Pita like bread it was served with. I’m a huge Cauliflower fan and had never had it paired with Hummus and it was brilliant.
The Fish and Aromatic Broth served tableside. Note, this is a supplemental $14 course, however, it was my favorite Main Dish so I highly recommend trying this. The broth was delicious, super flavorful and comforting and there is something special about watching the broth being poured onto the fish at your table.
The Red Snapper “Koshary Style” with Lentils, Fresh Chick Peas, Basmati and Toasted Vermicelli, Potted Herbs, Olive Oil, Grilled Lemon, and Saffron Tomato Broth. This was paired with a Washington Cider and both were heavenly!
This is the Charred Yemenite Brisket, which was good, however, I felt like Fish and Aromatic Broth was still my favorite of the mains. It had the most flavor, and the fish was so juicy, it was perfect.
The Moroccan Street Corn, Chermoula Yogurt, Feta, Cayenne Pepper, Orange Zest, Mint and Green Onion side. This was phenomenal. The corn was nice and sweet, plus the yummy yogurt and feta paired with the spices and onions. Amazing, another must try!
The Harissa-Marinated Whole-Roasted Chicken
Smashed and Fried Fingerling Potatoes, Garlic, Aioli, Smoked Paprika, Matbucha. Another must try side. So delicious and flavorful!
The Wine Pairings with the meat course
The delicious Dessert Wine pairing. I also love the presentation. How stunning, you really feel like you’re in Morocco!
Chef & Partner Adam Sobel. I snuck back to the kitchen to say hi and him and his team were super friendly, even during the busy dinner rush.
Stay tuned for more about Chef Adam when I share my video interview with him. Visit here to see more Chef Video interviews with The JetSetting Fashionista!
What do you think?