These are a few of his favorite things

Time for the annual birthday steak dinner for my husband.  I was originally going to go somewhere else when a coworker mentioned to me that there were new restaurants at the Americana at Brand.  A quick Google revealed that famed chef Michael Mina had just opened a branch of his Bourbon Steak chain at the mall, and with a name like that, how could I pass it up!  Plus I've heard great things about Michael Mina, so this would be a good opportunity to give him a try.

Now while I might be an amateur foodie, there are a few things I won't eat and one of those things is duck.  There is no rational explanation for why duck is considered a "forbidden food," so you just need to accept that it is.  Michael Mina is known for his duck fat fries, and they are served at his restaurants as an amuse bouche, so I was prepared to turn them away.  The server brought them much quicker than I expected and I felt guilty cutting her off with my "We don't eat duck!" declaration as she was starting to explain the dish, so imagine my relief when she said they no longer prepare them in duck fat.  Hallelujah!  I don't know what they were cooked in, and to be honest, I don't care either.  She explained the fry seasoning and dipping sauces too quickly for me to catch, so all I can tell you is that the middle sauce seemed like a Caesar and I didn't like it, but otherwise it was very tasty.

Amuse Bouche: a trio of fries not cooked in duck fat

For our appetizer we decided to go with the tuna tartare which is assembled tableside traditionally with a quail egg; however, quail is a "forbidden food" so we asked our server to substitute with a chicken egg.  It might have changed the taste a little, but I'm not sure how.  The plate comes with the diced tuna shaped in a circle and the accouterments on the side, but before you know it, its all mixed together and then shaped like a heart.  It took me a second to remember that the diced white pieces were pear and not onion, as that would have been overwhelming.  The dish was perfect and was served with the right amount of toast points.

Michael's Tuna Tartare (Asian pear, pine nuts, scotch bonnet, mint, sesame)

One of the unique aspects of Bourbon Steak is their bourbon cart.  The sommelier comes by and serves a trio of bourbons smoked tableside to accentuate ones particular flavor profiles.  When I first read that description I thought the smoking was particular to the individual diner, but its more about finding a flavor that will accentuate the bourbon.  Each flavor accentuator is smoked into the glass before the ounce of bourbon is added.

The Bourbon Cart

Tonight's trio were Rittenhouse Rye with Cinnamon, Elijah Craig with Star Anise, and Larceny with Orange and Lemon Peel.  As the drinks were for my husband, I can only tell you what he said which was that it was amazing how the smoke had accentuated the flavor of the bourbon, but he wasn't sure that it made enough of a difference.  Honestly, I think he was just excited to get to try three other bourbons.

The Bourbon Cart Trio

For our salad course my husband selected the beets.  I got an opportunity to taste a golden beet, and it was as good as it should be.

Heirloom Beets (cypress grove goat cheese, pistachio, golden balsamic)

I went with the garden kale salad, which is traditionally served with blue cheese, but I asked to be served without as blue cheese does not like me.  I'm honestly not sure what the chips on top were.  The salad was good, but honestly too large as I found myself tiring of eating kale.

Garden Kale (kumquat, golden raisins, candied pecans)

I wasn't sure what to order as I wasn't in the mood for steak and our server made the lamb sound so tasty, I couldn't refuse.  She said it was actually the dish that she recommends to foodies.  The dish is made up of two lamb chops, a lamb cigar, and lamb tongue.  The tongue was interesting, and I think, quite possibly, the first tongue I have ever eaten.  It was small, but I shared it with my husband.  The lamb cigar was heavenly.  It was, I believe, lamb shank rolled in a phyllo dough and fried.  And, of course, the lamb chops were heavenly, though I had to bring the bones home in order to get all of the goodness off the bone instead of embarrassing my husband in the restaurant.

Anderson Valley Lamb (medjool date, carrot couscous, harissa jus)

One of the specials that night was an American Wagyu Rib Cap.  My husband has loved this cut of meat ever since he first experienced it at Gordon Ramsay's Steak at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.  He said it was exceptional.

American Wagyu Rib Cap

For sides my husband selected the lobster whipped potato.  This picture was taken after my husband served himself a spoonful.  I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but the whipped potato was looser than one would expect.  It was quite gloopy which you can sort of tell from the aftermath of a serving in the picture below.  Also, I didn't notice much lobster.  The flavor was good, but not what I would think of when ordering whipped potatoes.

Lobster Whipped Potato

For the vegetable he selected the Delta Asparagus, I think because he was curious what the seven treasures were.  He said the seasoning reminded him of something he would have gotten out of the freezer section of the grocery store.  I have to disagree with him as I thought it was fantastic.  One of the seven treasures is I believe a Chinese sausage cut thinly, but honestly I'm not certain.

Delta Asparagus with 7 Treasures

Dessert was a difficult decision to make, but ultimately we selected the bread pudding.  The bananas didn't seem very caramelized, but I'm not complaining.  The bread pudding was the perfect consistency, and not very sweet, making the buttered rum sauce the perfect compliment.

Pastry Case Bread Pudding (caramelized banana,buttered rum sauce)

Bourbon Steak was the perfect restaurant for my husband's birthday dinner, and I can't wait to go back again and this time, try the steak myself!