I have a dilemma.
I've been dying to go to Minibar for ages and ages and the one time I got a reservation, I had to cancel it for a business trip. I really want to get there before the big expansion project (while it's still a 6-seater) and have an opportunity to go in a few weeks. I'll be in my second trimester and have been feeling really good so far so I'm not worried about that...I'm mostly worried about whether I'll get a good food experience out of the visit with certain dietary restrictions (nothing raw, no booze, etc). I assume they could probably work with my restrictions (some, at least) with prior notification but would it be worth my money to do it pregnant?
Thoughts? I'm hoping you'll tell me it's still worth it!
Re: Foodies - Minibar while pregnant?
And if you can't go?
I'll take your reservation!
I have not eaten there, so take this with a grain of salt (or foam or granulated salmon essence or whatever), but if it were me I would probably do a big dinner at America Eats with lots of courses that you can pick and choose and than do Minibar later when you have less restrictions.
Orrrr, go and eat whatever you want. I avoided very few things while pregnant and would have no problem eating a no-no food if it was prepared in a super awesome restaurant. You'd don't have to do a wine or drink pairing, do you? Consuming more than a little bit of alcohol would be my only concern.
How firm are you about not eating raw/rare fish and meat? I've been to Minibar twice, and honestly, I don't think you'll have the same type of experience if you go while pregnant and don't eat those things. I'm sure they could accommodate you, but it's not going to be as good as it could be. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go, but if this is a one-time thing and you're not sure if you'll be able to go back again, I would wait until you can fully enjoy the menu.
I did the latin dim sum brunch tasting menu at cafe atlantico when I was pregnant, and they had no problem accommodating me, but there were several items that included raw/rare fish or meat that looked really good (they brought them to the table for my husband), and it was kind of a bummer that I wasn't supposed to eat them. I actually ended up eating a couple of the dishes, because I figured they were probably safe, and I couldn't resist. Those were some of the best dishes we ate that day, so I definitely would've missed out if I hadn't eaten them. Minibar is an even bigger experience than the brunch, so I think I would've been really disappointed if I couldn't eat several items on the menu when we were there.