Michael Mina’s Estiatorio Ornos to focus on seafood
Michael Mina’s flagship space in San Francisco’s Financial District is undergoing a major transition: The famed restaurateur has permanently closed his eponymous Middle Eastern fine dining restaurant. In its place, he’s opening Estiatorio Ornos a Michael Mina Restaurant, an upscale Greek restaurant emphasizing seafood.
In a sense, the new restaurant is a return to form for Mina, whose national acclaim was born at Aqua, also located at 252 California St. Aqua was also known for seafood, and Mina said he remodeled the restaurant space to feel more lively and social with Aqua in mind. Three tableside carts will rove the dining room, featuring fish; fresh breads and dips like hummus and tirokafteri (whipped feta); and dessert.
And Estiatorio Ornos will employ what Mina is calling a “fish sommelier,” a seafood expert who will go from table to table describing the day’s catches and ideal preparations. Whole fish could be crusted in crumbled phyllo dough, or it might be wrapped in grape leaves and then baked in a mound of salt.
Estiatorio Ornos is scheduled to open in September.
Named after Ornos Beach in Mykonos, where Mina recalled a particularly magical evening dining on grilled fish, the 76seat restaurant aims to capture the warm yet airy vibe of the islands of Greece. There will be a tasting menu but, unlike the outgoing Michael Mina restaurant, there will also be a la carte options and the ability to eat familystyle.
When the restaurant Michael Mina shifted from its Michelinstarred modern American menu to a Middle Eastern tasting menu in 2018, Egyptborn Mina described it as “the pinnacle” of his career. It held a Michelin star and was the chef ’s most acclaimed business in his 42restaurant empire. But his outlook changed during the pandemic.
“I think we all got a year to really think about a lot — not just what was going on in our lives at that point but what you really enjoy in your life and in your career right now,” he said.
Mina started to miss the energy of Aqua compared to the formality of a tasting menu restaurant. He thought more about his roots in seafood. Most of all, he realized that the most rewarding part of his career over the past several years has been collaborating with other chefs, such as Ken Tominaga at Pabu and Ayesha Curry at International Smoke.
With Estiatorio Ornos, he’s working with chefs Girair “Jerry” Goumroian and Nikolaos Georgousis, who own Meraki Greek Grill in Las Vegas. The restaurant’s menu reflects what Goumroian and Georgousis grew up eating as well as Mina, who said the history of Greek influence in ancient Egypt is evident in the country’s cuisine.
Mina, Goumroian and Georgousis opened a restaurant called Estiatorio Ornos in Florida last year, but it’s significantly different than the one that is coming to San Francisco, Mina said. The upcoming restaurant is less than half the size, with more elaborate food. Dishes may also be plated tableside, like rice pudding from the dessert cart packed with traditional Greek sweets.
While the team hasn’t landed on a tasting menu price yet, Mina said he expects most diners will walk away spending $75$95. In addition to the daily whole fish offerings, there will be regular seafood options like prawns cooked in ouzo, spicy tomato sauce, dill and feta; scallops with quinoa and pistachio; and one of Mina’s favorites, lobster spaghetti in a tomato sauce cooked “low and slow, almost overnight.”
Diners less interested in seafood will also find some Greek standards like roasted lemon chicken and oreganoscented grilled lamb chops.
Wine will reflect the Greek and Mediterranean regions, a similar focus to the original Michael Mina days. And cocktails will feature Greek spirits such as ouzo, mastiha and tsipouro.
When the space is complete, it will have a freeflowing feel to the architecture, with huge windows, pastel colors and billowing curtains. The playlist will be inspired by Mykonos, the island most famous for its nightlife and thumping music.
While Michael Mina carved out a specialty with San Francisco’s only Middle Eastern tasting menu, Estiatorio Ornos will also be one of the city’s rare highend Greek restaurants alongside Kokkari Estiatorio.
“We can still do Michelinstarred food. We can still do beautiful food,” Mina said. “But we can do it in a way where it’s not all a tasting menu.”
Estiatorio Ornos. Scheduled to open in September. 252 California St., San Francisco. www.michaelmina.net