Monday, September 8, 2008

The Mint @ Raleigh, NC

http://www.themintrestaurant.com/
Serves: Lunch & Dinner
Cost: $$$
Experience: ^_^
Decor: Fine dining
complete gallery of pictures for The Mint

The Mint was a happy convergence of circumstances when I was visiting my brother in Raleigh, NC over Labor Day weekend. Having been blindsided by some last minute work, I had not had time to set up an itinerary of local activities before the long weekend was already upon us; and so, upon his apartment-mate's suggestion, we went looking for Fayetteville Street for rumored shopping and restaurants.

In order to locate the street, I had googled for a restaurant on Fayetteville while we were en route from Cary, and one of the first links was The Mint. At the time, I had paid little attention to it beyond grabbing its address to map on the iPhone, but once we were there, it boasted one of the few facades besides bank lobbies to leap out and grab my attention. Tantalized by the menu they had posted outside, we decided that we would wile away a few hours elsewhere before returning at 5:30pm for their dinner hours.

We actually returned at 5:10, and in spite of it being before official opening hour and our bedraggled street clothes (my brother and I were both in denim shorts, I in a tank top and flip flops and he in a worn t-shirt and sandals), they greeted us with smiles and impeccable welcome. They offered us the lounge and bar upstairs until they were ready to serve dinner, and I happily took advantage of the opportunity to explore a space that had been prepared in every detail for the evening's customers (but without the customers, yet):


The entrance after the entrance. My brother and I had peered curiously behind the safe door - it's genuine!


The bar upstairs had a beautifully designed lounge area that made me sorry that I don't even drink recreationally. The source of the rich colors at the top come from what looks like banks of red and green LEDs - quite an innovative design.

We eventually wandered back down to the lobby once 5:30 was upon us, and we were immediately seated. Our waiter for the evening, Geoffrey, promptly started us off with the menus and the usual slew of questions on our choice of beverages. Having been walking around in ninety degree weather for the last three hours, it was a welcome break, and the evening only got better from there.

I am an adventurous omnivore, and Geoffrey was an unrepentant accomplice. In promising venues, I like to get as much input from the waitstaff and kitchen as possible (they are a very valuable resource - never forget to take full advantage of them!), and Geoffrey had been more than happy to accommodate with not only input as to his own experiences with the food, but also anecdotes on past menus. (It was unfortunate that my brother and I had eaten a late lunch not too long ago, otherwise I would have taken him up on his suggestion of the tasting menu.) I like to hear and see that the chef is willing to experiment - in ingredients, in preparation, and/or presentation - and from reports thus far, Chef Jeremy Clayman was one of those.

The regular appetizer of poached lobster with popcorn, miso caramel and peanut butter raised my eyebrows. (Geoffrey explained, what goes more naturally with butter than lobster and popcorn?) The stories of some past seasonal ingredients raised them further, such as fiddlehead ferns and kangaroo. (I think it was kangaroo. It was something outrageous which made me wish I had been in the area at the time to try it.) Most of the other menu item descriptions seemed more run-of-the-mill (Geoffrey mentioned that some of their more adventurous creations had not found enough willing palates to remain regular items) but from the restaurant decor to the knowledgeableness of the staff, I was confident enough that we would get a show regardless of what was ordered to select generously from the available dishes.


Our palates were prepped first with this little morsel. I do not recall all the items on it anymore, but I believe pineapple, a shaving of apple, and steelhead roe (fish eggs) were involved.

The appetizers and soup we had ordered - the poached lobster, the foie gras, and the lobster bisque - were carried to us by a procession of no less than three of the waitstaff. It made me sorry that I had been fiddling with the iPhone at the time (getting this specific blog set up, actually) and wasn't able to capture the impressive display of coordination and pomp on camera. I was, at least, fast enough to capture a single snapshot of how our bisque was served to us - from a teapot!

The bisque was quite, quite good - just the right amount of richnesses to make it a proper bisque without it becoming cloying. I let my brother finish most of this one off, though - I was not only interested in more irregular dishes but I did not want to become full too quickly.


As one can see, there is no actual visible popcorn in the poached lobster appetizer. I was told that it was all pureed - and while I might not have caught on as to what exactly that secret ingredient was if I had done a blind taste-test (due to incredulousness), there was a most definite popcorn scent to every bite. Most importantly, it was not intrusive - it was enough of a hint to make me laugh and to excite fond memories of home moviewatching without overpowering the elegance of the dish.


The chef's presentation style continued to impress. While the foie gras I found a little too salty for my tastes (rather than eat it alone as I tend to do in order to savor its richness, I suspect it would have been better if I had taken it with the pain perdu, which was excellent - and thus, the unfortunate first victim of my appetite), the accompanying flavors available upon the plate - from the huckleberry sauce to the bread - were enough for me to make specific comments to Geoffrey the next time he had swung by our table.

For entrees, my brother ordered an off-the-menu special of wagyu, which will hopefully become a regular menu item in the future. (The beef had elecited quite a bit of discussion between myself and Geoffrey - I had never heard of it before - and eventually a visit from the chef himself. Jeremy Clayman was as friendly and approachable as everyone else who staffed the restaurant, and I saw him circulating amongst the other occupied tables to chat with customers after speaking with me. Unfortunately, having been too distracted by his food at the time, I did not ask him about the wagyu which had actually instigated Geoffrey's suggestion that I ask the chef directly. They had me covered though - Geoffrey later came back with a full report on the subject from Jeremy.)

By the way, the meat itself? Incredible. Knife unnecessary. The flavor was rich, without being overly salty or overpowering in taste. (Actually, the taste contained hints that reminded me a little of some Chinese dishes that I am particularly fond of - ones my mother makes for special occasions; definitely not a bad association!) It was originally conceived as an appetizer, but they made it into an entree with a double portion; for which I was glad, because then I was able to steal more than one bite from my brother without feeling too guilty.

As for my own entree, I suggested that the kitchen decide whether I should have the salmon or the trout. I was already feeling full by this point and was interested in something light, and unfortunately, only felt I had enough room for a few bites of the salmon that was suggested before I let my brother finish the rest. After the wagyu, the salmon seemed a little lacking in its own particular stand-out qualities (especially when I was already becoming disinterested in more food), but on its own, it probably would have been quite good. (I think I would have preferred it to be a bit more moist - but on the subject of fish, I am making allowances that I am an avid sushi lover and prefer everything a little more on the moist side, while I have many friends who like their seafood on the done side, rather than be subjected to the fishy melange of the ocean.)



And what meal is complete without a dessert course? Or two. I admit that I am one of those people who can say I am completely stuffed and refuse to take even one more bite of dinner, but always have a little crack left to fit a few bites of dessert (the sweetness helps it down, I swear). Geoffrey swore up and down on the peaches & cream, so of course we ordered one of that. Since I would most likely not be returning to the Raleigh area for at least a year, I decided to be a hedonist and also ordered the espresso cream custard.

Utterly delightful, the both of them. In spite of my fullness, I raced my brother to ensure my full share of both desserts. The peaches & cream were a wonderful contrast of taste and textures; of gentle sweetness with a titillating hint of tanginess, and a creamy texture accented by the entertaining crunch of granola. The espresso cream custard was a perfect cap to the dinner - served in a large cup (a rather fun visual trope as follow-up to the teapot bisque that began the dinner), it had just enough coffee-and-chocolate taste to feel as if I truly have concluded the evening without making me feel like I had grossly over-indulged, or too caffeinated to truly appreciate the post-dinner lethargy. I absolutely loved the crunch of the bean bits sprinkled on top, and finished even the whipped cream (which I usually eschew due to heaviness of flavor, but which was satisfyingly light here).

All in all, I would count The Mint one of the great assets of Raleigh. I cannot say that I have spent as thorough an exploration of the city's local offerings as in other areas of the country, but I had made two week-long visits previously without encountering anything that even approached this level of presentation and experience. The final bill was high (considering all that we ate and what we ate), but I did not find it any higher than I would have expected from any other restaurant of this calibre. In conclusion, this is now one of the locations that I have on my list of "must-return-to" when visiting Raleigh.

(A very big thank you to Geoffrey, who helped coordinate a wonderful experience.)

complete gallery of pictures for The Mint

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