Dear Mimi, Please Pass the Salt

A few weeks ago The Folk Singer and I decided to headed to Mimi's in the Marigny to satisfy our late night hunger. I know what you're thinking, "Tapas? Again? When will it ever end?" In a word: NEVER.

Actually, I am sure that the tapas craze will probably subside like other food trends that have come and gone before it. But I must say that I for one enjoy and sometimes prefer dining on three (... or four ... or five) appetizers in lieu of a main dish. And I am not the only one. How many times have you read this in one of Fr. Tom's reviews: "The appetizers are so delicious that one could make a meal out of those alone"?

The only problem (for me at least) is that I am not big on sharing my small plates for two reasons: 1) usually the portions are too small to split among more than two people, and 2) sometimes I feel that half (or less) of an appetizer is not enough to fully appreciate a dish. I guess you could say that this is one instance in which "sharing is caring" is an addage which need not be followed.

But I digress.

Mimi's was good, and you (sadly) can't find a better option for late night food in the city. But one recurring theme in every dish we ordered was a lack of seasoning. Now I have been told many a time that I over salt my food, but this was one instance when TFS backed me up. As Ruhlman more eloquently put it, salt can be a good thing. Salt enhances the flavors of foods during the cooking process. Maybe my trip was an isolated incident, but if there was one suggestion I could make to the chef it would be this: Do everything the same, except increase the salt and pepper during preparation.

Here are two snapshots of the dishes we tried:




This is the tomato and avocado bruschette.

The mushroom manchego cheese toast was the second best dish on the table: mushrooms in a cream sauce ladled over manchego and crusty bread.

Other dishes included the pork cannoli (shredded pork in a rolled pastry crust that was then deep fried and served with a sweet n' spicy BBQ sauce), an overly acidic and chewy ceviche, and patatas bravas. But the overall winner was the dish that ended up being dessert: freshly fried goat cheese croquetas drizzled with honey. Outstanding.

Mimi's in the Marigny - Par.