Mike's Bistro

Perfection from start to finish. Haven’t been to Mikes Bistro in years and boy have I missed it! The staff was very warm, excellent service. What can I say about the food? Steak for two on the hot plate is second to none. Mikes bbq ribs were mouth watering. Appetizers were amazing. They even have a pigeon on the menu, maybe one day I’ll order it!

Honestly my best dining out experience in the city. The food and drinks were delicious, the ambiance was on point, and the staff was great. One thing to note is that there is no tip on the bill (our server explained to us that they get paid a wage now instead of the standard practice of just getting paid in tips), so if you'd like to tip bring along cash.

***4 1/2 stars*** After spending a good chunk of the last half year eating at some pretty overrated establishments in the Financial District, I finally supped at a Manhattan restaurant that deserved the hype. Mike's was the site of a business dinner this past Thursday night, and I can see why so many reviews also reference that type of event - it's a fairly intimate restaurant that's loud enough where you don't have to worry about other tables listening to you, but quiet enough where you can have conversations with colleagues pretty easily. It also helped that we were off in a side area that was a little more private. Full disclosure - I can't envision too many scenarios where I would buy food this expensive, even for a one-off, celebratory dinner. Especially with my recent recon work in Rockland County, it's clear that Kosher food has a huge markup for whatever reason (The prep work required? Because they can? Who can say.) but this was pretty nuts. Even when I go to a non-Kosher, higher-end steakhouse - Liberty Prime in Jersey City comes to mind - you're getting expensive dishes but it's more in the range of $50 or $60. When the food you're eating is teetering into triple-digit territory? Eh. The price tag starts to get distracting to my palate. But...not my money this time! I'd taken a gander at the menu a few days beforehand (not knowing if we were getting a specialty catering/party menu) and immediately was intrigued by the lamb dumplings ($34). It was also clear that the short ribs ($85) had a strong reputation, so those were top agenda items going in. Thankfully we got a bunch of different items from that menu so the research came in handy. I was a big fan of the Signature Tuna Poke Nachos ($43) that showed up almost immediately - if there hadn't been tons of other edible distractions I would have focused more on that. Very creamy and fresh, and the added bonus of not being too messy; nacho dishes tend to disintegrate right before they get in my mouth, but this app had the courtesy of waiting a few extra seconds before destroying itself. Some of my compatriots knew about my lamb dumpling preference and immediately alerted me to their presence on the other end of the table. (Hashtag not all heroes wear capes.) Honestly? I couldn't decide if I really liked them. It was a fascinating taste but my gut said there were too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak - the lamb was delicious but I thought the spiced hibiscus tea gave it an overwhelming perfume-y vibe, which made me think they didn't trust the lamb to sell itself. It was warmly received on the whole, so that may be a minority opinion. The short ribs were excellent - $85 excellent? Debatable. One characteristic of these expensive dishes is that you don't feel disgusting after eating them. The ribs (despite literally being a hunk of animal meat) were very light and tender, so even after demolishing them in about three minutes I was still feeling frisky. The only item I had that I legitimately was a little disappointed in was the sweet yam fritters (I think $19) - great concept in theory, but they seemed a little bland and REALLY needed the sweeter fruit-like sauce that came with it. I'm not sure if that was more about the yam itself or the coating being too thick and taking away from the yam, but I was left wanting more from that. The service was top-notch. We definitely got special VIP-like treatment here so I can't say it's indicative of a normal dine-in experience, but I'll take it. The waitstaff was always nearby to fill up wine or water glasses without seeming oppressive or lurking right in the background, which is a tough balancing act. Would I come back with my own wallet? Eh, not sure. But I would DEFINITELY let someone else finance an expedition here.

My taste buds were taken on a journey tonight that defied expectations. I was introduced to some of the most delicious foods that were prepared with passion and an appreciation of the foods themselves. Some of the creamiest soups prepared without cream and some of the smoothest pudding without milk. Mike has a true understanding of the science of food and he explores it with you. It was a true pleasure, kosher or otherwise.