Mignon (meen yon) in French means cute, darling which describes this little boite to a tee. The interior is largely a U shaped bar that has all the equipment to act as a tiny kitchen as well as handling all the drinks. There are probably enough chairs around the bar for about 16 people with no room for tables.
The interior is dark with walls painted a dark, vivid royal blue. Coat hanger chandeliers hold an old fashioned Edison light bulb giving off a wan, xanthic glow. Candles & overhead high intensity lights complement the illumination. The inside accoutrements seem something from a thrift store chosen by a person with a certain flair for shabby chic.
We were doing a bar crawl so after the nosh at Cole's I opted for a dessert wine, Moscadello di Montalcino, Caprili, Italia, which is a late harvest Moscato varietal from Toscano. This late harvest is sweet, smooth, slightly viscous with sweet scent of tropical fruit, honey suckle, and honey-like sweetness. Nice mellow dessert wine to drink on its own, or perhaps with "Mahón cheese which is a soft to hard white cheese made from cow's milk. Mahón is considered one of the most versatile cheese of Spanish gastronomy."
A friend ordered the Prix fixe (pree feeks) for $25 which includes: a small plate or two charcuterie (cured meat), a Viande (meat), Fromage (cheese) or Dessert. 1) The mushroom soup was more like a potage, thickened with a bit of roux? smelling of button mushrooms, drizzled with a bit of virgin olive oil to add even more unctuousness albeit with healthy omega 3 oils. 2) Hanger Steak seemed slightly aged so the meat was softer, but also with a nice chaw & beefy flavour. It was a bit less than medium and finished with Beurre Maitre d'Hotel which is butter infused with such things as finely chopped parsley, lemon juice. Weiser new potatoes were probably baked with a brushing of vegetable oil to add a sheen. 3) Cheese plate of Mahon and a semi hard cheese infused with black truffle oil which were accompanied with honey, dried black figs, nuts, smears of preserved fruits.
Another "wine" that went with the Mahon (mah own) cheese was Pineau des Charente, Chateau de Beaulon, France. This drink is a combination of grape must or juice & eau de vie which is a precursor to Cognac. It is extremely sweet and higher in alcohol (16%-21%) than wine (8%-14%). To me there is a ripe pineapple, grape fruit zest scent & flavour. A glass of Pineau des Charentes (pee noh deh sha rant) had to be shared by the 3 of us which shows how cloying this cognac style drink can be.
Mignon is a civilized place where the background music is discreet, mellow, relaxing, and the volume is low. Nice place to unwind after a frazzled day, or going for a light meal with friends or solo. Unrushed, unhurried, spinning on its own orbit, Mignon is a nice respite from the loud, cacophonous, obnoxious new restaurants popping up like weeds where irksome noise is the mode de jour. read more