Salmon at Michael Mina

Great salmon is tasty, rich, and filling- and when most people say they don't like salmon it is because they have not had salmon that is fresh.

One of the great places in San Francisco to dine is Michael Mina's restaurant - any of them, but we dined at the one in Union Square.

The salmon is prepared simply as almost a burger - called the salmon steak burger. When people say burger I cringe. Most beef burgers today are made with parts that make hot dogs look absolutely pure. But this was made with fresh salmon, prepared simply - and ready to eat.

Salmon is simple if you want to do it right-- salmon that is fresh has no smell - and salmon that is wild has an oily texture with a firm muscle making a prefect fillet. Farmed salmon doesn't have the oil or the firm muscle to make it healthy. Farm raised salmon also has been found to have higher content of mercury  -- in addition to them being an environmental hazard.

So when going to a great restaurant you will note something simple like salmon, and you will know it is a great restaurant if they take the freshest, wild salmon they can get and from that will make you a healthy dish that will satisfy your palate.

On the medical side-- salmon contains healthy fat- of omega 3 fatty acids, that people now are selling in capsules, or even by prescription. It lowers incidents of heart attacks. So while you have a rich, oily, even fatty fish-- it is healthy for you.

Michael Mina does it right--  great dish - healthy eating - satisfying the mouth, but not making you fat.