Marvelous Media Meal at Minx

********THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED.********

Ever spy the huge Minx building while speeding down the freeway in Glendale? Let me put your burning question to rest -- it is not a strip club despite its saucy name.

Take a detour off the freeway. Go inside. It's worth it.



Inside the nondescript building lies all this sleek contemporary design.

After attending a hosted media dinner last Thursday, I am thrilled to report that Minx far exceeded my expectations. Look up Minx on yelp, and you'll see a rather dismal rating.

Ignore that rating. It's wrong now. Trust me on this one.

Dear readers, this ain't your old Minx. This Minx is beyond new and improved. With the addition of innovative young Chef Keven Alan Lee, Minx is now pretty damn fabulous.

The piping hot bread and delectable spicy whipped butter foreshadowed good things.

Duet of blooming butter head + hearts and romaine -- Lola Rosa, crispy bacon, crumbled Stella bleu cheese, red onions, charred corn, candied cashews, bleu cheese vinaigrette + garlic Parmesan, brushed hearts of romaine, grilled hearts of palm, Kalamata olives, ciabatta tostinis.

A pleasant green start to our humongous tasting. It didn't bowl me over, but it was nice enough to give me hope for the rest of the meal.

Signature creamy five-onion soup -- caramelized shallots, red and yellow onions, leeks, scallions creamed together with melting Gruyere cheese served in a colossal onion.

Wow! So interesting and surprising! It came in an onion! It wasn't like a French onion soup at all. Instead, this soup's texture resembled that of a butternut squash soup. My first spoonful puzzled me, but, only minutes later, I scraped that onion clean. Loved it.

Orleans-style BBQ shrimp -- sauteed black pepper shrimp with creamy Orleans-style BBQ sauce served with garlic bread.

Chef Lee told us he was inspired by the flavors he experienced at John Besh's Restaurant August, and this was an ode to all the great food in New Orleans. The garlic bread was nothing special, but these shrimp impressed me with the right amount of kick and a touch of sweetness.

Seared Diver scallops -- jumbo scallops seared medium and seared with a tropical habanero BBQ sauce.

This was my main course, seared just to my liking. Another spicy-sweet mix that pleased my palate.

14-day dry-aged New York steak -- Angus reserve, Merlot demi-glace, roasted shallot Zinfandel compound butter.

This was Wandering Chopsticks' main course. I sampled two slices (which I traded for a big scallop). While the meat was well-seasoned, I found it to be a bit on the chewy side. I thought this would be my favorite of the night, but it turned out to be my least favorite.

Au gratin potatoes, horseradish cheddar cheese.

I'm not a huge fan of potatoes in a large cube form. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but that's how I feel about big cubes of potatoes. This version, however, was well-executed. Not something I'd order myself, but I enjoyed my bite.

Truffle radiatori, Vermont cheddar, Shiitake mushrooms.

Nom nom nom! This cheesy pasta made me so happy.

Brussels sprouts and bacon, balsamic butter.

Straightforward and tasty.

Sauteed mushroom medley, garlic butter, fresh herbs.

You know I'm a fungus hater, so I can never really appreciate mushrooms the way they're supposed to be appreciated. My dining companions went to town on this, though.

Sauteed garlic spinach, Romano cheese.

Another straightforward and tasty dish.

Grilled jumbo asparagus.

More proof that Chef Lee knows his classics.

Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, bacon, scallions, crème fraiche.

Now these are some potatoes that I dig. Everything I like on a baked potato but on mashed potatoes!

Steamed broccolini, garlic butter.

Simple and not overdone. Making veggies like this is not as easy as one might think.

Shoestring buttermilk onion fries, sweet potato fries with maple syrup, truffle Parmesan fries with basil.

Fried joy in three cones. The sweet potato fries were especially good because of that loving touch of maple syrup.

Bananas Foster whoopie pie, handmade marshmallow, caramel orange tulle.

Whoopie for whoopie! A great combination of textures. Not too sweet. Yum.

Blackberry pear cobbler, Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, lavender whipped cream.

Superb. Warm and cold, sweet and tart, crusty and fruity. Opposites attract.

Lemon panna cotta, goat cheese cookie crumb, chilled berry broth, micro basil.

I fell in love with this creamy light panna cotta. It is too bad I am already married, or I could be Mrs. Panna Cotta.

Chocolate toffee bread pudding, Kahlua milk chocolate fondue.

Decadent and totally worth risking my chocolate-allergy-induced hives. You must get this. Effing great. Hats off to the pastry chef. Definitely save room for dessert!

If you are in Glendale, get thee to Minx. You are so lucky to have Chef Keven Alan Lee in your 'hood, dishing out strong classic American fare with fun and fresh twists.

Thank you, Minx, for a splendid evening with Wandering Chopsticks, sinosoul, Banana Wonder, Hungry Hungry Hanh, and The Uncouth Gourmands.