Jackson Metro Eats: Mint

Patrick decided to make this week's pick a surprise.  He only said it was across the Rez, we had reservations at 7:15, and he needed a button up shirt ironed.  Mint (Urbanspoon) was our final destination.

First off, it's a very different vibe from Julep (it's sister restaurant).  Mint is more of an intimate, cozy place (to me).  We were seated in a small booth, secluded from most everyone else in the place, so it's good for a date night.

Patrick's pick, Patrick's pick for appetizer.  He chose the crab cakes, on brioche toast, with remoulade.

There were two petite crab cakes on top of the brioche, then topped with arugula, remoulade, and crispy sweet potato slivers.  It was perfect for a date appetizer, with two smaller crab cakes instead of one huge one.  There seemed to be a good mixture of crab and breading, and the flavor was fabulous.  It was a tasty morsel, with the spice of the remoulade, and the crunch of the sweet potato.  Add to that the brioche, which reminded me of a savory piece of french toast, this was a great starter.

I decided to try something different, so I went with the Lobster Mac and Cheese.  They describe it as having a herbed bechamel, pasta shells, lobster, and truffle oil.  It was also served with grilled ciabatta.

OMG Rich!  It was absolutely delicious, but I ate maybe a third of it because it was so rich.  The lobster was still tender, the bechamel was divine and the shells were the perfect device.  It was really, really, tasty ad great for a cold night, like last night.

Patrick had the Prime Filet.  It was served with a fig and mushroom risotto, asparagus, and Bernaise.

 I'll be honest, this is what I should have ordered.  The lobster mac was good, really good, but this caught my eye first, and I should have gone with my first instinct.  Patrick even said that this was the best steak he has had in Jackson.  Let's start with the asparagus.  It was tender and buttery, a perfect complement to the risotto.  Patrick could have done without the mushrooms, but I thought it was delicious (says the girl that makes mushroom and asparagus risotto during Lent).  The figs added a nice sweet, unexpected note to a delicious creamy risotto.  The filet was perfectly grilled to medium rare, and had just enough char to be grilled, but not so much that it tasted bad.  It was obviously a good cut of meat, and when Patrick asked for a steak knife and they were hesitant to bring one.  Patrick even asked if I thought she was arguing with him.  Well, she came back with a butter and steak knife, explaining that their steaks were so tender that you should be able to cut it with a butter knife....She just didn't know she cleared Patrick's earlier, so he just wanted a knife.  And yes, it was tender enough to be cut with a butter knife :)

Everything about Mint was really good.  We would definitely put it in our Top Five and can't wait to go back!