A Las Vegas/ LA Dining experience here in Raleigh! Recently at a party I attended that was full of Chefs, one Chef mentioned that he worked at The Mint. After talking with him about Advanced Molecular Gastronomy (better know as food science) and how they practiced it at The Mint, as a food nerd I had to go.
The decor was very elegant, luxurious, and modern. Our server Matt was extremely knowledgeable, and vividly described his favorite entrees and how they were prepared using molecular techniques such as dehydrating and pickling watermelon.
My favorite appetizer, The Butter Poached Lobster with pureed popcorn, miso caramel, and peanut butter was the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
We also sampled the Duck Foie Gras with huckleberries, the Watermelon Gazpacho which is served chilled out of a tea kettle, and both the Baby Lettuce and Crab Salad. Even if you never accept freshly ground pepper on your salad, you absolutely have to at The Mint just to experience how truly awesome their pepper grinder is. I don't want to ruin the surprise just trust me and accept the pepper, or you'll instantly regret it when you see someone else get it.
For our entree we shared the Filet Mignon, and Matt offered to have it split for us on separate plates. Wow. It was so buttery and just melted into my mouth. The accompanying beet sauce and hollandaise were incredible with the foraged mushrooms. All of the plates were eclectic, and beautiful works of art.
My Husband and I both agreed that we were way too full for dessert but ordered the Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake anyway, which is made from scratch and baked while you wait. Now, normally in most situations you would not want to wait fifteen minutes for dessert at a restaurant. But it was a wonderful idea, since we sipped our espressos and let the overwhelming "fullness" subside. With the rich raspberry sauce, subtle citrus and vanilla notes it was both simple, light, and seductively decadent.
Chef Jeremy Clayman knows what he is doing, and we enjoyed our dinner so much I felt like I was on vacation and forgot that I was in Raleigh. While I have traveled to many big cities and eaten at some big name Chef's Restaurants, this was definitely my favorite experience here in Raleigh. Matt was a great server, and all of the staff that we met really went out of their way for us. It was a magical evening.