The MINA Test Kitchen

Poor wine selection, poor service, mediocre food, wrong table setting, no table /​individual space, bad quality /​price ratio. High price and expectations, poor delivery. For $ ²⁰⁰⁄₂ p dinner there way better places in town with no Mina name…

I can’t say enough positive things about this place. We dined at the Little Italy restaurant. The atmosphere, food, drinks and service were top notch. This is a great date night spot or perfect place for a group of friends. Can’t wait for the next test kitchen!

Where do I begin! First off the food was amazing. The bread was life changing and the amount/​quantity was plentiful. In the past I have dined at fine dining establishments and have left broke and not fully satisfied. This certainly was not the case. The wine list was great and reasonable. The ambience was quant and pretty. Above all our waitress/​bartender Tiffany was exceptional! You must recommend her. Her stories that pair with the food were entertaining. She was the perfect mixture of hilarious and not too intrusive. We truly enjoyed chatting with her and she was extremely knowledgable about the menu. This was not my first experience at a Mina restaurant but definitely my BEST experience.
PS The limoncello was to die for!

Family style pre-​fixed menu that changes month to month. At $ 49pp the available options were sufficient in satisfying different taste buds. The cocktails were great, but don’t go there looking for every cocktail in the book as only a limited amount is served. The pairings are more focused around their different wines. Overall a nice experience although it can get a little loud at times.
Btw there is a secret trapped door inside that blends in with the wall designs if you don’t have a keen eye to notice it :)

came here for little italy popup
reservations were at 845 — not seated til 905 — super busy
had the trio of appetizers — stuffed red pepper was the best out of the 3
linguine with clams was really garlicky and the lemon was bursting out of it — super delicious!
meatball was huge! dipped the semolina garlic bread –can you say yummmmm
the branzino was soft and tender, deboned by an italian dude
ended with the chocolate budino with caramel and pistachio
fun rat pack playlist and very lively atmosphere.

I’m almost reluctant to post a review, because I don’t want too many people to find out about this hidden gem in my neighborhood. But in the end the quality of the food and service here (as well as the exceptional value) deserve recognition.
Every few months the «concept» will change at this restuarant, and a new chef will be given the chance to create their own themed menu. Currently it is «Little Italy», and this is scheduled to last through valentine’s day 2016.
What to expect: It’s a crowded and lively atmosphere, and you will enjoy so many courses of italian fare for $ 49, that you literally should skip lunch on the day you dine there.
The staff are dedicated, astute, energetic, professional and fun. As good as the food might be, the group at MTK are some of my favorite restuarant folk I have gotten to know in recent memory.
This is a special-​occasion kind of place, and the fact that the current concept expires soon makes it all-​the-​more special. Enjoy it while you can!

Came for the Little Italy Concept and for sure will be back for the next concept.
First of all. Little Italy Concept… this is basically your grandmother’s (and the chef’s own grandmother’s) Sunday dinner. in a nice restaurant. The décor (from when they bought the building no less) is the perfect kitcsh for this concept. but was actually envisioning how they can slighly update it for the next. Back to the concept… the dishes are served at your table family style The pasta and meat/​fish are basically taste portions. but seriously with 7 courses, at that point you dont mind. and all in all well worth the $ 54.27 (taxes and resy fees (assuming the healthcare is in there as well).
We received the antipasti
Nana’s Stuffed Peppers…
Squid/​Cauliflower
Tricolore Salad — finally found a good use for a negroni (not a fan of the cocktail. but it worked wonderfully in the vinaigrette)
Then we chose the gnocchi and chicken liver and pork ragu… i was a a little worried about the chicken livers. but it was great and glad i stepped out of my comfort zone.
We also chose the Chicken Saltimbocca. i can take or leave a branzino. but having it come whole and having to filet and debone wasnt appealing to me. i did notice at a couple of other tables, the runner was happy to do it. they just wanted you to have the experience if you wished. The chicken saltimbocca especially with the fried sage bits was delicious!
We also received a charred (think roasted) broccoli with the most delicious lemon gremolata on top, and Chocolate Budino with Blueberry/​Almond Biscotti
The service was impeccable, our server personable and caring, and every server and runner (including the bartender) knew what every dish was composed of as they reminded us as it was placed on our table.
The process of prepaying through resy is awesome. it includes the price of your dinner and the tax/​fees and you have the option of adding a tip. I tipped at 18%.but ordered wine with dinner, so made up the difference on top of that tax & tip to get to 20! It was well worth it. and if i had the time (and they had an opening) i’d go back for this one again!

Very solid effort. We were here for Little Italy. We had 3 appetizers (stuffed pepper, calamari salad, and a green salad). I loved the green salad. It’s hard to impress me with a green salad– but this one popped with fresh lemon (at least I think it was lemon– sometimes acids confuse me), and had a delicious melding of ingredients. The calamari was also fabulous. The pepper, which I had thought would be my favorite, was bland– but 2 out of 3 isn’t bad, and the two other offerings were very, very good.
We had to try the wedding soup (5 dollar surcharge). There were also baked clams, but with all the food on offer I was afraid to add something else. The wedding soup was lovely. My Italian neighbor would have felt they had stolen the family recipe. Just wonderful. I couldn’t identify everything in the broth– but it was very good, and the meatballs were perfect. A stand out item.
Garlic bread– so so. Mine was overdone, and I had to leave a piece because of the hardness of the crust– but the flavor was good. The gluten free option, which my husband had, is NOT good. Don’t have it! It’s gummy. You’re better off with no garlic bread– save yourself for the other options.
For the pasta portion we chose the clam linguine. One of our clams didn’t open– so my husband wouldn’t eat it. I thought that was a myth– but whatever. We were down a clam :-) The dish was great, though. None of the ingredients overpowered (I’m sure you’ve had clam linguine in which there was too much garlic, or lemon– I know I have). This was delicious and perfectly balanced. And not too much. The baked ziti looked HUGE– so I was glad we didn’t order that (I was already getting pretty full). If you bring hungry linebackers– get the baked ziti.
Main course– we had the branzino, a fish I am not familiar with. It’s wonderful. The baked fish is served entire– head on, with a lemon garnish, on a bed of delicious crispiness, with microgreens. Great presentation. And the fish is a knockout. This is one good fish. Creamy white flesh delicately flavored, and it went perfectly with the accompanying garnish. It is very bony, though– and we tried to lift out a boneless filet, but no– so you’ll be picking bones out of your fish. Small price to pay, though. We were also served a little bowl of broccoli– and my husband loves broccoli, and since it was his birthday I let him have it all (especially since I got carried away and ate his meatball in the Wedding soup). He said it was a little over salted– but again, he ate it ALL. The alternative to the fish was chicken saltimbocca.
For dessert? Chocolate budino and blueberry biscotti, with two tiny glasses of very tasty limoncello.
Each dinner was 54, and we paid online. You just give your name at the door. We added the wedding soup (5) and 2 glasses of prosecco (10 each)
Service was outstanding. The location is interesting. We tried to walk from Embarcadero– don’t do that. We finally got a cab off the street for the final leg over the hill. We probably should have gotten off at Civic Center and taken a cab. When we returned, our cab took us to Civic Center (11.85 fee not including tip)
My husband and I both have allergies, and they handled those pretty well– except for the garlic bread. Which originally came without warning covered in sesame seeds. Luckily I noticed them, so we didn’t have to epipen my husband :-) I am always a little scared when I go out to eat– because I’m allergic to corn, and that’s a tough one to deal with. But they handled mine perfectly! So I would say they can handle allergies– just be sensible and vigilant, and don’t expect them to be perfect. No one is. Also, there were vegetarian options. The people sitting next to us were a pescatarian and a vegetarian– and there meals were adapted to their tastes.
The venue is small, but cute. Red velvet patterned wall paper, paneling, mirrors– a nice bar. You will be very close to other diners (which is nice, if you’re nosy, and want to see the other dishes). On the other hand, some people who were originally squeezed in next to us didn’t appear to like the close quarters, and went to eat at the bar. The music was fun, and I heard many of my favorites– Ave Maria, Mambo Italiano, etc.
I recommend against bringing children to this. You’re too close to other diners, and fractious children could ruin the meal for everyone. And I don’t see how you could manage a high chair in there– but maybe it’s possible. I highly recommend against it– for your sake and the sake of the other diners.
And I know this might be weird– but I was blown away by the soap in the bathroom. I’m getting some of this TODAY. It smells amazing. Bathrooms, btw, were spacious and handicapped accessible– single large bathroom (wash basin outside) with a grab bar. But back to the soap– it has the most amazing smell-​it is «Further glycerin soap» (you can find it on Amazon)

I was excited to try out MINA’s new restaurant concept, the Test Kitchen, but I was pretty disappointed by the «Little Italy» theme this weekend.
— – How Does the MINA «Test Kitchen» Work? — –
1. Buy your «ticket» online — $ 50 (before tip), you can tip and add drinks later.
2. Mention your name when you arrive to be seated.
3. Food: For two people, you get 3 appetizers. Select 1 (of 2) mains, free garlic bread, select 1 (of 2) secondi, select 1 (of 2) desserts. Double that if you have 4 people (and so on).
4. Drinks: Beers, wines, and cocktails available for purchase.
— – How Was the Food? — –
There was ALOT of mediocre food. Nothing was great, some things were OK. For example, the stuffed, roasted bell pepper and eggplant squash was mushy and bland. Even the garlic bread was disappointing — it reminded me of what you might get at Safeway.
TLDR: Not good food, but there is alot of it for $ 50.
— – Conclusion — –
MINA Test Kitchen is a cool idea, and an affordable option with generous portions. I didn’t like the Little Italy menu because the food was mostly bland and reminded me of Maggiano’s. If you know you and your dining companions have different food preferences, allergies, or restrictions, be wary when visiting because all items are served family style.

Perfection, surpassing all our expectations even at a bar table.
This was basically a 7-​course meal:
— 3 appetizers
— 2 entrees + side of Brussels sprouts & bread
— 2 desserts: panna cota & hot puff pastry
Service was superb, ambiance was warm, cozy & comforting (my partner had a cold & still loved this dinner).
My only minor suggestions would be:
A) Pork chop should be less spicy. Brussels sprouts & pork chops seemed to overdo jalapeño.
B) order regular wine; Chianti house wine was mediocre.
Otherwise, looking forward to coming again for the next in this test kitchen series! Bummed to have missed Mediterranean earlier. Love Michael Mina anything.

Echoing what everyone else on Unilocal is saying. Amazing value for the amount and quality of food you get! «Tickets» need to be purchased beforehand in order to reserve a table. My friend and I shared an add-​on during our meal, and the bill only turned out to be about $ 65 per person after tax and tip.
There is only one set pre-​fix menu that is rotated every few months. I’ve been here for both the Mediterranean and Italian pre-​fix, and they were both excellent. I can eat a lot, and I left this place both times way too full with leftovers to spare so I would recommend going without the add-​ons. Be prepared to feast when you come!

Last Wednesday, I had the esteemed pleasure of dining at Minna’s Test Kitchen where chef Adam Sobel is cooking Italian food from his grandmother’s book of recipes. The concept and menu change every three months (currently «Little Italy»), so menu items and staff are invigorated, fresh and constantly lively.
The pre-​fix menu including my favorites: stuffed peppers with pancetta, baked clams, tortellini, and petrale sole are fit for the gods, so please don’t skip those. A short, tight list of imported and domestic acid driven wines complement the red sauces to perfection. My personal recommendation is the Italian Testamatta, which is 100% Sangiovese and epic.

Mina’s Marina.
Tastes like Little Italy.
Gastro R&D.

I know the Middle’terranea concept has been replaced, but I truly hope it comes back in some fashion. Everything we ate was really great. I had my favorites, of course, like the hummus with spicy lamb and the taco-​style dish and the chicken and the cauliflower and…
The concept, the preparation, the food and the service were all great. I also loved being able to sit outdoors on a lovely, cool, fall night and just have food brought to me without having to make any choices.

Raphael and Tiffany (behind the bar) made sure we had a great time! Vivek A. and I came in early last Friday to enjoy the prix fixe menu (they made a vegetarian version for Vivek) and it was great!
$ 45
Food:
+ Middle Mediterranae– the menu is constantly changing but i particularly enjoyed the creative and variety of salads and hummus.
— Chard– neither one of us enjoyed this side dish but we’re generally not fans of chard
–Cinnamon rice pudding– bit too sweet for me with the powdered sugar on the fried phyllo bread
Ambiance:
+beautiful interior
+cozy, we sat the bar
Service:
+top notch, attentive and friendly
Can’t wait to come back to taste Little Italy next month!
–Hungry Hungry Pongy

Great pop-​up concept by Michael Mina, good if you enjoy food and are a ‘foodie’ but don’t want to spend too much money. Got ALOT of food for the $ 50 (w/​o tip) price tag. The servings were more generous than I anticipated. This first concept was ‘Middle-​teranea’ which was their Middle Eastern concept. Can’t wait to try the next one (Italian concept!)
You have to book online/​purchase your tickets first, though I think they accept walk-​ins too. They do have up-​charges when you are there in case you want to buy a drink or do any meal upgrades so you’d pay separately for those.
Staff was friendly and you could tell they really work as a team. They were extremely open to comments and feedback which is refreshing.
The food was family style and we didn’t finish! And I honestly really liked everything and everything was executed well and was inventive/​different. Worth a try.
The menu changes a bit based on season and ingredients so I don’t really want to list out everything but our favorites were:
Stone fruit salad
Avocado salad (I know these 2 sound simple but it was literally just simple food, presented beautifully and made in a way that complemented all the components)
Garlic prawn with fried farm egg (+12 supplement
Harissa marinated chicken with potatoes

Love the idea of a test kitchen where concepts rotate every few months. The first concept, Middle’terranea was fun and delicious! Service needs slight improvements as they missed a course and we had to ask about it.
As the name suggests «test kitchen» I expected to see the kitchen and a brighter dining room so we can see the food at our table but instead you get a dark, tight, crowded room with no view of the kitchen.
You pay when you make your reservation. It’s $ 45 per person for food but the website also charges a $ 5 fee per person. You can also prepay for the drink pairing ($ 39) and tip or wait until you get there. I think the meal is priced reasonably at $ 50 but when you opt for supplemental course and upgrade, it pushes the price towards the overpriced territory.
Street parking isn’t easy but with some patience, you’ll find something.
Will be back when the concept changes.

4.5 stars: Middle’terranea Pop-​Up
I had a wonderful dinner here — delicious, well-​thought-​out food, good wine, and excellent service.
This was probably due in part to the advice of my fellow Unilocalers. Many of the prior reviews mentioned the poor supplements and wine pairings. We opted out of all add-​ons and chose an enjoyable bottle of wine in lieu of pairings.
FOOD:
Frozen Limonana Popsicles — Olive oil and sea salt added a subtle dimension to the mild starter. Very refreshing and perfect for the hot SF day.
Laffa w/​Ahi Tuna — This was my favorite app. I loved the slightly chewy texture of the Laffa bread, and the baba ghanoush, berbere, and tuna combo was mmm mmm good!
Grilled Stone Fruit Fattoush — Wow! I always thought fattoush salads were rather boring, but Mina’s stone fruit version was a symphony of flavors and texture. Loved this.
Brokaw Avocado — I liked the crunch of the Kataifi (shredded phyllo) in contrast with the extra creamy avocado. But the flavors were lost amid all the ingredients. Overall forgettable, though visually beautiful.
Cherry Tomatoes & Halloumi — This was like a Middle Eastern caprese! I enjoyed the savory fried Halloumi cheese in contrast with the sweet Medjool dates. Watercress and Saba vinaigrette topped off the flavors.
Spicy Lamb Ragu Hummus — My BF hoarded most of this dish, so I could barely taste the lamb. He says it was good though!
Harissa-​Marinated Roasted Chicken — The main entrée was just okay. The skin wasn’t crispy enough, the flavors were too subtle (relatively), the meat was slightly overcooked. I loved the smashed fingerling potatoes though. That skin!
Roasted Cauliflower — Good heat from the muhammara sauce, capers were a nice contrast, but the raisins were a little much with everything else.
Moroccan Street Corn — Win. Just awesome.
Watermelon Granita — A great note to finish on. The rosewater cream and toasted pistachios hidden in the bottom were the best part. I’m sad they took the Mango Tart off the menu though, that sounded mind-​blowingly good!
SERVICE:
Our waiter Michael (not Mr. Mina) had great energy and an all-​around awesome disposition. He knew the menu inside and out. The food runners mumbled a bit in their presentation, but a minor complaint for otherwise great service.
AMBIANCE:
Intimate, dimly-​lit space, with a few outdoor tables. We sat outside and enjoyed the great weather, though the outdoor tables were a bit awkward with knee/​foot placement. Location is in a lower traffic part of the Marina, so noise from cars/​pedestrians was not bothersome.
OTHER NOTES:
–Dinner reservations are pre-​paid with an online ticket system.
–Limited walk-​in seating at the bar.
–Beer & wine only. Cocktails are made with aperitifs.
–Food is served family style :)

I was really excited to try this new addition of the Michael Mina empire. Super reasonable and love the ambience of the place as well.
Overall, all of the dishes are super solid with strong roots in Mediterranean flavors and spices — brought me back memories of traveling to those places.
Some of the stars:
Roasted chicken — moist, great flavor, tender.
Braised beef — super tender meat with a lot of complexity in the flavor–
Flatbread — love the crunchiness and thinness of the bread, fun crunching and eating it like a taco.
The beverage pairing had a mead and a beer in the mix — I’m not a huge fan. So I didn’t think that it was worth it for a wine drinker — a couple of the wines are quite good. In general, the wines by the glass selection are excellent. The Corsican red which we had before dinner was delicious!
My only complaint would be that the tomato influence on the entire meal was enormous — maybe half of the dishes had some tomatoes? Especially the appetizers. I would advise to cut down a bit to have more variety in the flavors.

$ 45 per person is a steal in this expensive town and Mina Test Kitchen does it well at that price point. We did fall (partially) for the upselling: Red Snapper course for $ 14 and Beef Brisket for $ 10 extra and unfortunately, those two turned out to be the weakest links. For your benefit, skip the extras.
Other Unilocalers have already posted the menu so I won’t go into a rundown of all of the courses. The meal started off strong with a refreshing popsicle and a laffa taco. Both were the highlights of the meal. We were then served three different salads.
The harissa-​marinated chicken main course was excellent. The chicken was super flavorful an the skin was crispy. The alternate brisket course was tough and subpar and not worth the $ 10 supplement.
I really loved the street corn side dish that was served with the main course. It was a great way to bring in California influences into the Mediterranean-​inspired meal.
The meal ended on a fantastic note with the frozen greek yogurt served with toasted sesame mango tarta. It was one of the best desserts I can remember in recent memory.