His name is Marc St. Jacque, and we snuck in last night to see how he’s doing with the same old, same old MM menu. A bill of fare that needs serious updating, if you ask our staff.

Not much has changed in this place in the past five years since “Aqua” became Michael Mina, and as much as we love the food, and the decor, both could use sprucing up.

That being said our trio of three birds — chicken, quail and duck — was well nigh flawless. Each bird was distinct in flavor and texture (i.e. each bird tasted of itself), the saucing was spot on (if a tad salty on the chicken jus), and the tomato chutney was so good, the only thing we could complain about was that there wasn’t more of it.

Of course, it wasn’t a whole hell of a lot of food for $66, but the flavors of each item were so precise (and with Sarah Kosikowski’s trio of stone fruit desserts), we walked away smiling.

The whole Mina-trio-thing probably needs to be given a rest, but if well-cooked poultry is an indication of a chef’s talents (and it is), St. Jacque is off to a good start.

As for one of the “signature” dishes on the menu (one that’s been on it since 1998), that old warhorse the lobster pot pie will now set you back seventy-eight simoleons ($78). It was half that price ten years ago, and such a tariff is a bit perplexing since it’s been a bumper crop year for lobsters (wholesale prices have been very low). We at ELV don’t know of any other menu item in town has doubled in price over the last ten years (and can’t think of any other consumer good that’s done so), so we’re left to conclude that the tourists are just getting soaked, steamed, buttered and basted as usual.