UA835
Nov 5, 05, 11:31 am
Having dined at Picasso and several of the Michael Mina restaurants, I wanted to try something a little different on this trip, so I was certainly intrigued to find the following review of Fleur de Lys as part of my pre-trip preparation:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Feb-11-Fri-2005/weekly/25830235.html
In summary, I was very pleased with our meal here … and the ‘do-it-yourself’ tasting menu is worthy of a repeat trip on a future visit.
As far as the décor, imagine eating at the bottom of a well … no, this is not a criticism, just an observation. The room was more or less round, and had a very high ceiling, with decorative stone lining the walls. The wine cellar is perched about 20 feet over the floor, encased in glass, and appears to contain two additional dining tables. I figured our order of two glasses of wine probably wasn’t going to get us a seat in there. Also of note was a ‘live’ mural on one wall made up of thousands of fresh roses.
Service was fine, slightly below what I have come to expect at Michael Mina’s restaurants. On a few occasions the server had difficulty describing what we ordered.
For the actual meal, as stated in the review, the restaurant offers a 3, 4, or 5 course prix-fixe meal. Mrs. UA835 and I decided on the 4 course, and were sufficiently stuffed by the time dessert came along, as they don’t skimp on the portion sizes.
I had the escargots, halibut, and filet, and the Mrs. had the foie gras, scallops, and shortribs. Each item was paired with an interesting set of accompaniments, which turned each dish into it’s own tasting menu. For example, the halibut was topped with popcorn dusted with truffles, the fillet had a side of oxtail tortellini, and the scallops topped with several osetra caviar.
This may sound a little gimmicky, but it really worked for me.
On our next trip, I’d probably try something other than the escargots & foie gras for an appetizer, and also skip the smoked salmon ravioli (which was a side on a later dish, but also available as an appetizer.) I don’t typically partake in escargots, and these just tasted somewhat ‘dirty’ to me, which is why I’ll avoid them on the next trip. The foie gras was in pate form, where our previous (and preferred) experience was sautéed foie gras.
To me, dessert was a little on the un-creative side, and didn’t live up to the expectations set by the previous dishes. I had the chocolate tasting, of which the only real memorable item was a vodka sorbet. Mrs. UA835 had the ‘Paris-Vegas’, which was essentially a hazelnut ice-cream sandwich. I can’t stand hazelnuts, but she enjoyed it.
Two four-course meals, two glasses of wine, and a cappuccino ran about $250 all-in.
I got exactly what I wanted out of Fleur de Lys, and that was something a little 'different.' I also felt that the meal and experience was well worth the price, and knowing that I have several options at each turn will bring me back again.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Feb-11-Fri-2005/weekly/25830235.html
In summary, I was very pleased with our meal here … and the ‘do-it-yourself’ tasting menu is worthy of a repeat trip on a future visit.
As far as the décor, imagine eating at the bottom of a well … no, this is not a criticism, just an observation. The room was more or less round, and had a very high ceiling, with decorative stone lining the walls. The wine cellar is perched about 20 feet over the floor, encased in glass, and appears to contain two additional dining tables. I figured our order of two glasses of wine probably wasn’t going to get us a seat in there. Also of note was a ‘live’ mural on one wall made up of thousands of fresh roses.
Service was fine, slightly below what I have come to expect at Michael Mina’s restaurants. On a few occasions the server had difficulty describing what we ordered.
For the actual meal, as stated in the review, the restaurant offers a 3, 4, or 5 course prix-fixe meal. Mrs. UA835 and I decided on the 4 course, and were sufficiently stuffed by the time dessert came along, as they don’t skimp on the portion sizes.
I had the escargots, halibut, and filet, and the Mrs. had the foie gras, scallops, and shortribs. Each item was paired with an interesting set of accompaniments, which turned each dish into it’s own tasting menu. For example, the halibut was topped with popcorn dusted with truffles, the fillet had a side of oxtail tortellini, and the scallops topped with several osetra caviar.
This may sound a little gimmicky, but it really worked for me.
On our next trip, I’d probably try something other than the escargots & foie gras for an appetizer, and also skip the smoked salmon ravioli (which was a side on a later dish, but also available as an appetizer.) I don’t typically partake in escargots, and these just tasted somewhat ‘dirty’ to me, which is why I’ll avoid them on the next trip. The foie gras was in pate form, where our previous (and preferred) experience was sautéed foie gras.
To me, dessert was a little on the un-creative side, and didn’t live up to the expectations set by the previous dishes. I had the chocolate tasting, of which the only real memorable item was a vodka sorbet. Mrs. UA835 had the ‘Paris-Vegas’, which was essentially a hazelnut ice-cream sandwich. I can’t stand hazelnuts, but she enjoyed it.
Two four-course meals, two glasses of wine, and a cappuccino ran about $250 all-in.
I got exactly what I wanted out of Fleur de Lys, and that was something a little 'different.' I also felt that the meal and experience was well worth the price, and knowing that I have several options at each turn will bring me back again.