 MINT BISTRO 1105 Elm St., Manchester; 625-MINT (6468); mintbistronh.com Serving: Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to last call (12:45 a.m.); Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sunday Brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Cuisine: Contemporary fusion Dinner entrees: $18-26 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in five categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Appetizers 19/20
OG:: As seems to be the trend these days, we had a choice of “tapas” or “starters” and I found the Land & Sea Tartare on the tapas menu right away. The dish consists of raw steak and tuna with a lemon grass ginger aioli, among other accoutrements. Beautifully presented, both the steak and the tuna were coarsely chopped and absolutely fresh, making a wonderfully tasty medley. But my favorite thing on the dish was the lime green wasabi roe, which had an exquisite flavor that perfectly accompanied the dish. What can I say? It’s the little things that make me happy. The dish is “market price,” which that night was $12 — quite reasonable. 9.5
The Dining Companion: One of the specials of the night was the curry fish soup ($7), which was a rich spicy and luscious soup with salmon and a nice ball of sticky rice to mix in as you eat. It was a delicious, full-bodied soup; I could have eaten this alone and been very satisfied. Hopefully this will become a standard menu item. 9.5
Entrée 17/20
OG:: I love a well-prepared duck, so the coriander duck breast ($20) piqued my interest. Served with fennel and arugula, and an asiago risotto, the duck was not served sliced as it often is, but was a thick, boneless breast. It was cooked perfectly rare, just as I asked for it, and was flavorful — but rich, as duck tends to be, thanks to the fat. The incredible pomegranate veal jus just added to the richness, making the whole thing sinfully delicious. 9
TDC:: The filet mignon ($28) was served with a truffle mash, asparagus and what was called a Stilton brûlée. The steak was cooked to perfection as ordered, the truffle mash was delicious; but why do kitchens feel that they need to take a piece of blue cheese, put it on top of a steak and place it under a salamander heater? It ruined a perfectly cooked piece of meat, as it was a bit on the burned side, and because of that I have to give it an 8.
Dessert 18.5/20
OG:: Two words: pastry chef. These aren’t commercially manufactured confections, indistinguishable from the offerings at every other restaurant in southern New Hampshire. Instead, Mint Bistro’s homemade creations that are unique. I had a bittersweet chocolate mousse torte ($8) with bing cherries, port reduction and crispy rice that was a perfect end to a wonderful meal. 9
TDC:: Jessica Haight, the executive pastry chef at Mint Bistro, definitely can make a mean dessert. The Peaches and Cream ($8) is, in itself, a simple concept, but this was a little slice of heaven, with a creamy buttermilk custard, sliced vanilla peaches and two homemade walnut shortbread cookies. All I can think of is the line in “Oliver Twist” of “Please sir, I would like some more…” 9.5
All the rest 18/20
OG:: There have been some cosmetic changes to the space, but it isn’t vastly different than it was when it was Baldwin’s. It’s still dark, romantic and comfortable. Food presentation is excellent, there’s a decent selection of wine and the service is very good — which is what you should expect at a restaurant of this caliber. 9
TDC:: I never had the pleasure of eating at Baldwin’s, but I think that no matter how good it was, Mint Bistro is living up to it. We did have a small problem with an air conditioning unit that made us a bit too cool; we did need to prod our waitperson about the specials, but these are small items that can easily be fixed. 9
Value 17/20
OG:: This is the higher end of the price spectrum, but if you put a premium on good food and an outstanding dining experience, it’s worth the extra cost. With that in mind, I’d say Mint Bistro is a very good value. 8.5
TDC:: Not the cheapest place in town, but this is now on my list of top spots in New Hampshire. If you go, be sure to make a reservation. When we went, we were able to get a table very early, but by 8 p.m. they were booked for the evening. What a great problem to have. 8.5
Total: 89.5/100
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