THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Michael Mina Menu

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Michael Mina Restaurant Review:

EDITOR'S NOTE: This restaurant is changing concepts to Estiatorio Ornos a Michael Mina Restaurant.

About the restaurant and décor: Michael Mina's flagship restaurant in San Francisco's Financial District presents an elegant, sleek dining room touting a minimalist design, majestic bar and high ceilings. The crowd is a convivial mix of young downtowners and older patrons, setting a tone of vivacity mingled with established old guard.

About the food: Drawing inspiration from his Egyptian roots, chef Mina has brought in Middle Eastern flavors to his menu. Executive chef Raj Dixit is at the helm in the kitchen. At lunch, diners may order à la carte or enjoy an express prix-fixe menu ($49). Tuna tartare still makes an appearance, but now it’s prepared with urfa pepper (Turkish chile pepper), pine nuts and finger lime. For dinner, a five-course prix-fixe menu ($165, plus optional wine pairings) is offered and might include grilled Maine lobster with almond, coconut, saffron and hand-rolled cous cous; and charcoal-grilled baby lamb with romano beans, black harissa and ricotta gnudi. A five-course vegetarian tasting menu ($135) is also available. For dessert, you might encounter a chocolate pyramid or glazed strawberry paired with black sesame, fromage blanc and perilla.

About the drinks: The well-curated wine list is one of the best in the city. You'll find bottles from Lebanon and Greece alongside a wealth of selections from Italy, France and California. Meanwhile, the bar program presents a wide variety of spirits, plus cocktails that incorporate interesting ingredients like ana spiced syrup or activated charcoal.