Michael Mina joins food-hall fray

Michael Mina is joining a growing number of high-profile chefs who are expanding their portfolios with food halls. Later this month, he will debut The Street: A Michael Mina Social House, a curated collection of dining outlets.

Mina’s first version of The Street is scheduled to open on May 19, in Honolulu, at the International Market Place in Waikiki. A second location of The Street is also slated to open in 2018, in West Los Angeles, at the Beverly Center mall. 

The collection largely taps the talents of chefs within the Mina Group stable, including RN74 executive chef Adam Sobel, Mina Group corporate chef David Varley and Stripsteak chef Gerald Chin.

“It’s very much a collaboration,” said Shardul Kiri, Mina Group vice president of marketing, sales and brand development. “Michael prides himself on his ability to find and cultivate culinary talent. He wanted to allow various chefs within our company to create experiences that spoke to their passions.”

In Honolulu, The Street will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night in a 6,900-square-foot space, with 13 restaurant outlets sharing a 280-seat, communal dining area.

Food stalls will include Little Lafa, a Mediterranean concept that recalls Egypt-born Mina’s childhood, including recipes from his mother.

Sobel will also go back to his roots with Adam’s Nana Lu, an Italian eatery featuring dishes from his grandmother.

Varley will do a casual burger joint called Maui Onion Burger.

At Kai Poke, Chin will focus on contemporary interpretations of the traditionally Hawaiian dish of raw fish, including menu options like poke tacos, Kiri said.

The Street will also include the artisanal coffee bar LAMill Coffee, with pastries by Craig Min. 

New to the Mina Group is meal-kit entrepreneur and cookbook author Ayesha Curry, wife of NBA star Stephen Curry, who will open a barbecue restaurant within The Street called International Smoke.

Ken Tominaga, chef and owner of Hana Japanese Restaurant, is a Mina Group partner in The Ramen Bar concept in San Francisco, which will also be represented in the collection. 

And the group is tapping local Honolulu chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant to open Aloha Ice, an elevated shaved ice concept in which frozen, compressed fruit is shaved. 

There will also be a beer-and-wine garden called Beer, and a juice, acai bowl and smoothie outlet called Indie Girl. A tiki bar called The Myna Bird will pay homage to the iconic Don the Beachcomber restaurant and bar that was once in the mall. Mindful Greens will serve salads and bowls. And The Street will include a boutique chocolate shop.

One aspect that will make the food hall unique is The Street Party Pass, which lets guests pay $37 for seven items from any of the restaurant stalls within a 30-day period. 

Kiri said the Honolulu location will have a DJ on some nights.

“It’s what we’re calling a food festival experience,” he said. “We’re actually calling it a social house versus a food hall. It’s the type of experience Michael has wanted to create throughout his career. He grew up with tons of family coming around the table and eating together. Street brings that to a head. It’s a place where everyone can come together and gather.” 

The Street in Los Angeles will be similar, but perhaps including local chefs more relevant to California, Kiri said.

Based in San Francisco, the Mina Group operates more than 30 restaurants around the world, including the restaurants Michael Mina, Bourbon Steak, RN74 and Stonehill Tavern.

Mina joins restaurateurs Thomas Keller, José Andrés and Danny Meyer in curating food halls.

Keller is curating the food-and-beverage outlets at New York’s massive Hudson Yards project, which will include a Spanish food hall by Andrés. 

Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group is curating dining options for the $1.3 billion Capitol Crossing project in Washington, D.C., where he plans to open a second location of Union Square Cafe.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]

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