From Florida to Texas to South Carolina to Alabama to his current home of 20 years in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Michael Minden has had the opportunity to create and enjoy great American food across a wide swath of the country. His culinary career includes 10 years with Walt Disney World, another decade with Marriott Corporation and additional time spent at private resorts and hospitals.
Today at Michael V’s Restaurant & Bar Michael serves classical American food, renowned for entrée dishes such as beef Wellington, rack of lamb and halibut with a pistachio crust as well as several versions of classical “Oscar” dishes with veal, chicken, salmon and beef tenderloin. He also does a great chicken fried steak. The restaurant is particularly beloved for its coconut cream pie, which comes with a money-back guarantee; more than 30,000 pieces have been enjoyed (with not a single person asking for their money back).
Michael enjoys sharing “classic cuisine with a creative twist” to locals and visitors in the restaurant he and his wife Carol have owned and operated since 2006. They enjoy baking almost everything in-house, creating their own spice blends, sauces and dressings as well as the camaraderie of the restaurant business.
“I have always loved food…I dream food,” said Michael. “We are all about quality over quantity and sharing incredible food with others.”
As delicious as it sounds, his award-winning Butterfinger® Cream Cheese Brownie Pie is a decadent combination of flavors layered to create indulgence and delight. The pie, which is the Recipe Winner in the Dessert category in this year’s Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest, includes a Gold Medal™ brownie crust baked with Butterfinger and Oreo® pieces and adds a peanut buttery cream cheese layer topped with luscious chocolate ganache and completed with more bits of candy. Luckily for Tulsa fans, the pie is now on the menu every day.
Michael notes that he and his kitchen staff at Michael V’s rely on Gold Medal mixes for other menu items, including biscuit mix and cake mixes, to make food preparation both efficient and consistent. He explains he is always on the lookout for ways to ease labor for his back of house employees. “The mixes help to make it easy, there is nothing better,” he added.
Beyond its amazing menu, Michael V’s is known for its friendly service and atmosphere. Patrons love to visit the restaurant’s Fiber Optic Bar, which includes a bar-back of mirrors and glass block imbedded with ever-changing fiber optic lights. The restaurant also offers catering, banquets for groups up to 120 and the charm of its executive chef and owner Michael.
Notes
Address: 8222 E 103rd Street; Tulsa Oklahoma Website: http://www.michaelvsrestaurant.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelvsrestaurant/