Around The San Francisco Bay

Story By Scott Gummer     
Photography by Tomas Muscionico

We shuffled back into the lobby of the landmark Westin St. Francis Hotel on Union Square where, come this summer, Michael will transform the old lounge into a sleek, chic new restaurant. It is the most anticipated restaurant opening in San Francisco in years, it occupies one of the most coveted corners in the city, and it is named, appropriately, after its owner, Michael Mina.

Enter Andre Agassi, tennis icon, Las Vegas resident and devotee of Michael Mina's fresh fare with flair. Their friendship has evolved into a partnership that recently launched SEABLUE at MGM Grand, "I have evolved from simply writing a menu to developing a concept," says Mina. "Ninety percent of successful restaurants have a clear concept and stay true to it."

A Toast at Fleur de Lys

And now for something completely different, Mina had arranged for a private room at Fleur de Lys, San Francisco's longest-running four-star restaurant. Resplendently redone after a devastating fire in 2001, Fleur de Lys is a feast for all five senses. "It is the Le Cirque of San Francisco," says Mina. "The meal, the service, and the experience are all consistently the best." Our special menu and wine pairings were a treat of epic epicurean proportions: young pea vichyssoise served in a capped egg shell with poppy seed dusting placed in an Orrefors votive candle holder; Baeckeoffe of foie gras, truffles and fingerling potato paired with a seared duck burger and foie gras in a brioche bun, lobster tail over artichoke purée with citrus jus and porcini oil, and grapefruit and tangerine segments topped with chervil. The fact that Susan, Peter and I are working parents with 10 young children between us and have palettes more attuned to microwaveable fare surely made these works of art all the more divine. However it is not a stretch to surmise that as long as the likes of Chef Hubert (pronounced ooh-BEAR) Keller and Michael Mina remain among the living the food on Earth will rival anything they are serving in Heaven.

Chef Hubert and his beautiful better half Chantal, who run the operation, joined us for nightcaps at the Redwood Room in the Clift Hotel, recently purchased by Ian Schrager and redesigned by Philippe Starck to the tune of $50 million. On this night, like most, the Clift's famed watering hole boasted a clientele that was easy on the eyes enjoying a myriad of libations to pulsing music amid soaring walls of rich redwood. Last call came surprisingly, if mercifully, soon and at two o'clock in the morning we headed back to the hotel feeling sated and accomplished.

Peet's Coffee

Peet's Coffee never looked, smelled or tasted so good as it did the next morning in the Ferry Building Marketplace. No big breakfast this day-a deep cup of Major Dickason's Blend and a croissant or muffin seemed to do the trick for everyone.

Opened in March 2003, the Marketplace is a modern bazaar, housing some three-dozen diverse restaurants and food shops, mostly those of greater Bay Area purveyors. "I come here all the time," says Mina. "It's one-stop shopping." Among his regular stops are Acme Bread ("I've used them for 13 years," he says), Tsar Nicoulai Caviar from California's Central Valley and the Cowgirl Creamery. "Instead of ordering blindly off a product list," says Mina, "I come here and taste all their cheeses." The group's consensus favorite was the Red Hawk, a triple-cream, full-flavored cheese made from organic cow's milk. We were not alone: the American Cheese Society awarded Red Hawk Best in Show in 2003.

Careful not to spoil our appetites on samples, we pressed onward to lunch at L'Osteria del Forno. "It's small, it's quaint, it's authentic North Beach," said Mina, referencing San Francisco's historic Italian neighborhood. Over crespelle (crêpes filled with sautéed porcini mushrooms, ham and béchamel sauce), speck (smoked prosciutto, white beans, arugula, parmigiano) and cotton-soft fresh focaccia, Mina shared his thoughts on the recipe for a great restaurant. "You are throwing a party every night. You decorate, you serve food, you create an environment in the quest for a perfect experience," he said. "What makes a great party? Guests who are enjoying themselves. It's the same thing that makes a great restaurant."