Minibar

Went for the open house on Monday and was quite impressed with the attention to detail. The drinks are well thought out and the "philly cheese steak"  will easily have me coming back for more. This is a special occasion, planned well in advance kind of place. Reservations have to be made online or by phone - and they only accept parties of six and below.

I'd like to start by saying this was absolutely a wonderful experience, BUT, want to emphasize that it was wonderful for a molecular gastronomy forward restaurant.  My feelings on MG has and always will be that the flavors and combinations are creative and interesting, but what you're really there for is to play with your food, and that some taste is lost in that.  One might argue that the dishes like the "Carrot Soup" or the "Beans and Clams" were as "carroty" or "beany" as one may ever have, and I do not disagree in regards to intensity, but will argue that I've had "tastier" dishes.

With that being said - It's a once in a lifetime experience.  We got the non-alcoholic beverage package which were interesting and paired wonderfully with the dishes they were served with.  I did wish we received a little more direction on how many courses each beverage was meant to last.  Most dishes made us smile at each other, and the "lead Chef" was skillful and knowledgable.  

I will say - McDonalds was visited immediately following this experience.  Don't be fooled by the 28 course talk - many of these courses are 1 or 2 bites.

Conflicted to say the least.  I knew the pros and cons before going here.  I read Sistema's recent review, still determined to find out for myself.

Eating at minibar is like attending a Cirque du Soleil production.  There is a lot going on on stage, but somehow it all comes together.  The minibar concept of having the kitchen in your face and the chefs serve you immediately is neat.  If you haven't seen it before, it is pretty engaging.  You spend more time talking about what's going on in the kitchen than having an actual conversation with your new dining friends.  All the chefs seemed really enthusiastic about their jobs, so that made the experience pleasant.  Wine pairing seemed thoughtful and explained superbly.  I really enjoyed their take on shawarma and waldorf salad, but the mango and coconut sticky rice was probably my favorite.  

Post-meal, we were ushered into barmini to consume the remainder of our desserts and to imbibe (and pay more for) in some more cocktails.  It's a little bit of a drag to have to be seated in bar post-meal.  I would have rather enjoyed the last desserts in the kitchen, and then moved on to the bar if I wanted to.  

After all that, I realize now this isn't even Andres' proving grounds anymore.  His empire is getting pretty big and the food here isn't necessarily his.  The foundation might be, but the new dishes might not even get his blessing.  The chef's frequently commented on how they are trying new stuff and how they're really excited to bring it to the menu.  Unfortunately in one meal, I can only be wowed once by the deconstructed carrots with liquid interior once.  You do it again in another dish, and I'm not so impressed anymore.

3 stars for the overall experience being very cool and recommended for those who haven't been, but it isn't worth going back twice.  The egg-bill reveal is no more.