MICHAEL MINA   

located in the chopped up lobby of the former grand hotel st Francis ,a set of airport modular seat greet you in the lobby , the noise issimply attrocious , forget business or romantic diner , waitter are ok , I really do not care what their mother's maiden name is, simply carry properly the plate the Cooks have prepared without puting your finger in it .....food good ambiance ok noise way too high , this Rrestaurant on it's own would be a gang buster in the lobby of the hotel it will remain exactly what it is joint in an hotel lobby , no longer a great hotel either. the St Francis was certainly the most complete Hotel in the City and the West coast , Bean counter came in and closed down just about every single food and beverage outlet{Macy's love it 3 hours wait at the cheese cake factory!!!!}I have been told in the 80's tghe St Francis was grossing 24 millions of our good US $ in food and beverage wonder what their earning is these days M Mina is a good restaurant , just like Hubbert keller {la Fleur de lys}was burried in the back of Sutter 500 and bloom to stardom wen He left to join la Fleur de Lys , M Mina would be far better off as a free standing restaurant.

First off, no one who remembers the old Compass Rose and it's sumptuous (though admittedly a tad fussy)decor will be pleased with the most boring and inadequate decor of beige with robin's egg blue accents. Dull, dull, dull...looks like any New York restaurant from the 1980's. The lobby is completely hideous with blocky furniture that looks straight out of Target and decorator touches that make you wonder if the place is still under construction. The curtains aren't even sewn correctly. That aside, the food was at times spectacular. Lobster appetizers were incredible and the desserts were most inventive, fun and delicious. The whole concept of serving in threes, and the theatrical service delivery with a crew of waiters arriving at your table adds to the whole evening's value in a nice way. Service was excellent and unfussy. Most of the dishes sampled were both unique and scrumptious. Unfortunately, both the lamb and the pork dishes I sampled used an almost flavorless meat. Not sure if it is some special nod to health or they just need a new supplier but with such incredible side dishes and complex sauces and beautiful presentation, one wonders why the meat has no flavor. I would say if they can fix these small little flaws, the restaurant will may blow the French Laundry out of the water. (Aren't we tired of "vertical cuisine" anyway...stacking does not equal creativity!). I would say if you are in the mood for very tasty food and an entertaining dining experience, I believe Michael Mina delivers. If you are looking for perfection, look elsewhere. Yet, watch out...this is so close you can almost taste it.

Food was great with inventive presentation-needed assistance from attentitive staff. Surroundings were at first severe but once service started surroundings vanished. Loby needs work-disorganized and crowded. When you spend that much for dinner yoou don't want to force your way to the bathroom.

The food was OUTSTANDING...I would liken it to Resturant Gary Danko's...BUT the ambiance sucked! Way to noisey...and right off the lobby of the St Francis...we felt as if we were being watched by tourists at all evening. I dont mind spending that kind of money for a dinning experiance, but it needs to be an all enclusive experiance, food, ambiance, service, light, music...not just an expensive place to eat a very tasty meal.