Mimi

Eating is a way of life in our house.  It is not about nutrition as much as it is about the experience, the combination of flavors, the creativity and the conversation around the food.  It doesn’t matter if we are at home or checking out a new spot, this is our mantra.  Probably because of that high bar attitude we rarely find anything that can’t be tweaked or perhaps a bit better or that noteworthy.  It is a curse but we all enjoy the challenge.

Mimi might be one of the most creative, unique, intimate restaurants we have been to in a long time.  I read about Mimi just as it opened and what I read sounded impressive.  A young 25 year old chef, Liz Johnson, is the brainchild behind the food.  If I close my eyes I could be in Paris where rethinking of classic dishes reign.

We opted for splitting everything.  Good news is there were four of us so we got to taste more.  Thick pieces of fresh oiled up tuna over a chilled ratatouille doused with verbena.

Kinmedai.  This was brilliant.  Her concept of a summer pepper terrine.  Sliced roasted pieces of all red and yellow peppers layered like a terrine with slabs of fresh golden eye snapper over the top.  The flavors, the textures, just the whole thing was delicious. Everything sliced like a perfect whipped butter.

Bibb lettuce with a picholine olive champagne vinaigrette. Had to get some greens in there.

Kokotxa.  This is the fish under the fish’s jaw served with black caviar and cabbage.  This was so light it you would think that you were eating buttery pillow puffs of gnocchi.

Grilled eel served with peaches and a dijonaise sauce.  The intensity of the sweet savory smoky eel mixed with the sweet peaches of the season is an incredible combination.

Fromage de Tete is classic French.  This usually has the appearance of a slab of gelatinous pieces of pieces of cow and pig but not here.  She poached these lowly pieces of meat, thinly sliced it, and then layered it on the plate as a terrine topped with a burgundy truffle hazelnut vinaigrette.  It is an epic dish.

Bay scallops perfectly cooked with cervelle de veau (that would be beef brains) in little bite-sized morsels with mushrooms.  Not sure what the sauce was but guarantee it had butter in it as there is plenty used throughout the meal.

Roast chicken served with potato dumplings, mustard and escarole.  Just how you want chicken…juicy.

Charcoal roasted lamb with nettles and a side of thick rich buttery thinly sliced potatoes layered on top of each other.

We had put in for the souffle early on as it is recommended.  Tonights souffle was gingerbread like.  It was good but almost too much sugar and butter.

On the other hand we noticed our neighbors eating the chocolate tart and opted for one of those too.  Wow. A dark chocolate fluffy melt in your mouth that was far from one dimensional.

I can hardly wait to get back.  My guess is the menu is always changing so I am looking forward to the next bit of goodness coming out of the kitchen on our next visit.