Watch
3:28
April 2, 2019
Rainy first nights are good luck, right? On the inaugural night of International Smoke, crowds pack it in for homey classics like cassoulet and Jamaican Johnnycakes crowned with caviar. Hands, hands, HANDS, people.
ChefMichael Mina
San Francisco
About Michael Mina
Chef Michael Mina co-founded the Mina Group with Andre Agassi in 2002. Under the auspices of the Mina Group, he has opened 30 operations. He has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Michelin two-star award and San Francisco Chronicle’s four-star award for the original MICHAEL MINA at San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis on Union Square, Michelin’s one-star award for MICHAEL MINA in Las Vegas as well as induction into the American Gaming Association’s Hall of Fame in 2007. He has been featured in numerous national medias and cooked for three U.S. presidents.
My Venues
Accolades
- One Star (Michael Mina)Michelin Guide
- Chef of the YearBon Appétit, San Francisco magazine
- Best Chef: PacificJames Beard Foundation
- Rising Star ChefJames Beard Foundation
- ChefsFeed WinnerOne of the Best Things to Eat in SF
Featured Content
Where I Go Out
Duck foie gras ravioli
$$$$, Outdoor Seating, Reservations, Full Bar, Italian, Mid Beach
"The duck and foie gras ravioli is outstanding."
Tasting menu
$$$$, Modern, Full Bar, New American, Molecular Gastronomy,
"If money were no object, I would go for Manresa's tasting menu."
Hot-smoked white fish & cold-smoked salmon
$$$, Seafood, Polk Gulch
"Just a great SF experience. Perfectly smoked fish served with thinly sliced bread. Simple but so phenomenal. Have it with an ice-cold Anchor Steam."
Porchetta sandwich
$$, Food Truck, Breakfast, Food, Embarcadero
"Hands down the best sandwich I have ever had. The crisp, fatty pork in between pork juice-sopped bread and carmelized red onions… mmmm!"
Tacos de carnitas
$, Outdoor Seating, Mexican, Burritos, Tacos, Mission
"La Taqueria does tacos better than anywhere I have ever eaten. I love the balance of the juicy meat, both crisp and soft shell and spicy salsa. It's perfectly washed down with the cantaloupe agua fresca. Truly a great food and beverage pairing!"
Brownie sundae w/ salted caramel ice cream
$, Outdoor Seating, Desserts, Ice Cream, Mission Dolores
"This is so sinful! In fact, the whole block is sinful—Bi-Rite, Delfina, Pizzeria Delfina, Farina, Tartine."
At My Venues
Happy spoon oyster
$$, Sushi, Downtown
"I see why it is called the "happy spoon," as it has some of my favorite flavors and ingredients in Japanese food—oyster, uni, roe and ponzu cream. One perfect bite of happy! The textures are awesome, with the little pop of the roe and the smooth oyster and uni."
Omakase
$$, Sushi, Downtown
"The "happy spoon" is just that, and I have fallen in love with the okonomiyaki. Say it five times fast."
Ahi tuna tartare
$$$$, Happy Hour, Modern, Full Bar, American, New American, Financial
"Can't go wrong with Michael Mina's tuna tartare. Always so fresh and delicious. Melts in your mouth."
King crab crêpe
$$$, French, Cocktail,
"A buckwheat crȇpe is filled with succulent king crab, amazing wild mushrooms and topped with a normandy beurre blanc. The amazing presentation is topped only by the delish taste!"
Croque madame
$$$, French, Cocktail,
"This sandwich is made with amazing bread, gooey cheese and succulent ham. Yum! You can order it without an egg, too, if you'd like a croque monsieur instead."
Duck a l'orange
$$$, French, Cocktail,
"This is my favorite dish here. I love the use of confit and glazed duck wings, which are very seldomly used. They serve it with a maltaise sauce in a blood orange cup, but the duck a l’orange doesn't need it because it stands on its own. The redesigned dining room, from its days as American Fish, is perfect, too: the bar and dining room blend together as one, and the private dining room feels very much like a part of the main dining room."
