Legendary Las Vegas chef takes cue from Bellagio’s seasonal displays

The walkway to Michael Mina — through the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at Bellagio on the Strip — surely ranks among the loveliest restaurant approaches in Las Vegas. And among the most congested, as people stop, talk, gesture, take group selfies and capture smartphone images of the sumptuous seasonally changing displays.

The team at Michael Mina, named for its celebrated chef and founder, is harnessing the hubbub, recently debuting Conservatory Dining, a tasting menu in the restaurant that changes five times annually to celebrate the spring, summer, harvest, holiday and Lunar New Year themes in the conservatory.

The menus marry seasonal ingredients, inventive flavor combinations and creative presentations with restaurant design touches — seasonal flora, accents, tablescapes — but nothing intrusive or over-the-top (so, if there is ever, say, a “Hobbit” theme in the conservatory, you won’t find Sauron in the soup).

This month, chef Mina marks 28 years in his Bellagio space: first with Aqua from opening day in October 1998, then with his eponymous place since 2004.

Following the successful pop-up of famed Alinea restaurant that ran from mid-April through May, “we were getting our ducks together with some folks from Bellagio, and we were talking about enhancing experiences,” Mina said. “My staff really enjoyed the pop-up. We were already known for seasonal menu changes. We have this unbelievable location off the conservatory. So, what if we pushed the envelope there? We started dreaming about the art of the possible.”

The special menu was born. “It’s the most excited I’ve ever been about the restaurant,” Mina said.

Deceptively simple

Conservatory Dining supplements Michael Mina’s seasonal à la carte menu, which remains. It is also not replacing the menu served by different Bellagio restaurants at The Garden Table in the conservatory.

The Autumn Harvest Tasting Menu, the current incarnation of the Conservatory Dining series, just launched, spanning 10 courses, the menu heading for each simply naming its showcase ingredient. A miniature Dutch baby pancake cradles a quenelle of Daurenki caviar, a swath of Bosc pear purée and a drift of whipped sour cream.

“Why didn’t I ever think of doing that with caviar?” Mina asked, discussing the origins of the dish. “We played around with the Dutch baby for a while and found the way to bake it into that little shape.”

California spiny lobster, shaved fuyu persimmon and cucumber are shaped into a rose, showered with coriander blossoms and set in a puddle of ginger-chili water.

“You have the crisp cucumber, the sweet persimmon, the great flavor of the lobster, the coriander blossoms with bite,” Mina said. “The ginger-chili is refreshing, almost like an agua fresca.”

Duck three ways touches down: ground and stuffed inside delicata squash, as seared Hudson Valley foie gras and as slow-roasted duck breast, with a pool of pumpkin véloute.

Drinks and details

The Autumn Harvest Tasting Menu is $295, plus tax and gratuity. A standard wine pairing is $150, a premium pairing is $300, and a new zero-proof cocktail pairing is $95. Guests may also order à la carte seasonal cocktails, like a Rhubarb with Elijah Craig Rye, rhubarb, lemon, egg white and pinot noir, and an Apricot with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Braulio Amaro, apricot and bitters.

The menu is served 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Reservations/details: bellagio.mgmresorts.com or 702-693-7111. The conservatory continues to provide Michael Mina with inspiration and an occasion for exploration as the restaurant debuts its holiday tasting menu and setting in mid-November.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram. .