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Michael Mina Opens His New Restaurant in The Westin St. Francis - Bourbon Steak -
in the Space Formerly Occupied by MICHAEL MINA


San Francisco (October 4, 2010 ) -- Culinary master, internationally acclaimed chef and restaurateur Michael Mina will open BOURBON STEAK at The Westin St. Francis on Union Square October 7, 2010.   Featuring a menu that is artfully tailored to the San Francisco dining audience BOURBON STEAK incorporates fresh, seasonal West Coast treasures. The restaurant resides in the space formerly occupied by MICHAEL MINA. 

Mina has tapped Omri Aflalo as Executive Chef of BOURBON STEAK.  Aflalo was an extern from the Culinary Institute of American at Aqua when Mina first met and worked with the chef.  Aflalo has since traveled and worked abroad, and has learned from some of the most notable chefs in the industry, including Mina, Gary Danko and Michel Richard.  Mina is excited to have Aflalo back in San Francisco leading the BOURBON STEAK kitchen team.

Mina, a two-time James Beard award-winning chef and culinary innovator remarks, �I am committed to making BOURBON STEAK a standout in San Francisco for locals, visitors and guests of The Westin St. Francis on Union Square.  To this end, I have crafted a menu that is unique and distinctive to the BOURBON STEAK in San Francisco, focusing on California product, producers and farmers.  I am confident that my vision is a shared one, and as Executive Chef of BOURBON STEAK Omri Aflalo will convey the excitement of this vision every day with our guests.�

Rajat Parr, Mina Group Wine Director, has created a compelling list that emphasizes Burgundy, Rhone and California, accented with selections from Bordeaux and Spain.  The collection includes Grand Cru Red and White Burgundies, First Growth Bordeaux, as well as unique and  hard to find California producers.  Guests will also discover a classic menu of handcrafted  cocktails, incorporating a roster of fresh ingredients.

BOURBON STEAK San Francisco at The Westin St. Francis on Union Square is the fifth location of this award-winning steakhouse by Michael Mina.  As with all Mina restaurants, it prides itself on unique menus tailored to each market, catering to guests and their dining preferences.  Other BOURBON STEAK locations include Washington D.C., Scottsdale, Miami and Detroit.

�Michael Mina is bringing an exceptional, new dining experience to our award-winning hotel,� explains Jon Kimball, General Manager, The Westin St. Francis on Union Square.  �His previous endeavors and now this new venue, BOURBON STEAK, customized to reflect the dining preferences of our guests in San Francisco, characterize the kind of dynamic direction we seek.�

Respecting the room�s unique and varied history, designer Michael Dalton blends the grandeur of history with a robust and modern point of view creating BOURBON STEAK San Francisco.  The design combines a strong and masculine color palette with clean, tailored forms to balance the ornate architecture of the room.  Rich, deep hues of cognac, bronze, steel blue and nickel pose
a striking visual contrast between opulent and masculine elements. Guests will find a spacious 102-seat restaurant and a handsome bar and lounge with a total of 42 seats.
 

Michael Mina Bio

Named Bon Appétit Chef of the Year 2005, San Francisco Magazine Chef of the Year 2005, as well as Restaurateur of the Year 2005 by the International Food and Beverage Forum, acclaimed chef Michael Mina continues to dazzle the culinary world with bold dining concepts that have contributed to San Francisco�s reputation as a world-class epicurean destination. He has also been an integral part of the making of the now esteemed Las Vegas dining scene. 

�I have been very fortunate to earn a living through my true passion,� says Mina. �Over a decade in the kitchen has taught me so much about myself, my style and how to share this excitement with my guests. Each new project shows me that there is absolutely nothing I would rather do.� 

The opening of his eponymous signature restaurant, Michelin one-star and San Francisco Chronicle four-star winner MICHAEL MINA, in July 2004, marked the newest phase and ultimate expression in the career of the James Beard Award-winning chef. The restaurant is located in the legendary Westin St. Francis on Union Square in San Francisco, the city where Mina first established his culinary reputation over 15 years ago. 

Mina�s culinary and business vision led to the founding of his company, Mina Group, with partner Andre Agassi, in 2002. Under the auspices of Mina Group, he has opened 17 concept restaurants and a lounge concept: MICHAEL MINA in San Francisco, CLOCK BAR in San Francisco, RN74 in San Francisco ARCADIA in San Jose, XIV (14) in Los Angeles, STONEHILL TAVERN in Dana Point, SEABLUE at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and SEABLUE in Atlantic City; BOURBON STEAK and SALTWATER in Detroit, BOURBON STEAK Miami and BOURBON STEAK Scottsdale, BOURBON STEAK Washington D.C., AMERICAN FISH at Aria, City Center in Las Vegas as well as STRIPSTEAK at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Mina also remains Managing Chef of MICHAEL MINA Bellagio (formerly Aqua Bellagio) and NOBHILL TAVERN at MGM Grand, both in Las Vegas. 

An accomplished chef for his 42 years, Mina has been involved in numerous creative enterprises. He conceptualized, built and opened CHARLES NOB HILL in San Francisco, earning it three-and-a-half stars, Pisces in Burlingame, a three-star restaurant and AQUA BELLAGIO in Las Vegas (now MICHAEL MINA Bellagio), a Mobile four-star winner. In 2001, Mina opened NOBHILL at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and AQUA at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point, CA. 

At the start of his career, Mina was presented with an opportunity of a lifetime with then Executive Chef of the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, George Morrone. The two were asked to develop a concept and create a menu for an upscale seafood restaurant in San Francisco � the city Mina had dreamed of calling home one day. 

Welcomed to San Francisco by a major earthquake his second day in the city, the unfazed Mina went to work, under the direction of George Morrone, and dedicated himself to creating a complete dining experience � training the entire kitchen staff personally and refining the menu as the chef de cuisine. Aqua opened to rave reviews and national acclaim in 1991. Mina served as Aqua�s executive chef from 1993 to 2002, where he was awarded Rising Star Chef of the Year in 1997 and Best California Chef in 2002 by the James Beard Foundation. 

Born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Mina has had a love affair with the kitchen, creating memorable dining experiences for guests from a very early age. Mina�s epicurean journey began in 1987 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. During those 18 months of formal schooling, he spent his weekends sharpening his natural talents with hands-on experience in Charlie Palmer�s kitchen at the upscale Aureole in New York City. 

Despite a demanding schedule, being in the kitchen simply remains a labor of love for the celebrated chef. �I started in the kitchen when I was very young,� explains Mina, �and I am still as intrigued with the process as I was when I was a 15-year-old Garde Manger in a small French restaurant in my hometown.� 

Mina has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Michelin one-star award and San Francisco Chronicle�s four star award for MICHAEL MINA in San Francisco, Michelin�s one-star award for MICHAEL MINA Bellagio in Las Vegas as well as induction into the American Gaming Association�s Hall of Fame in 2007. Mina has been featured in such national media as Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Food Arts, Cigar Aficionado, Newsweek, TIME, Robb Report, Travel & Leisure, Wine Spectator, and others and the Food Network's "After Midnight," Fine Living Network�s �Opening Soon,� Pat O�Brien�s �The Insider,� the CBS Early Show, the NBC Today Show and Fox's syndicated "Good Day Live." He has been a featured guest chef at the James Beard House numerous times, cooked for First Lady Laura Bush, and has been a guest speaker at C.I.A. in Hyde Park and at other culinary institutes in California. http://www.michaelmina.net

Guests may begin their dinner with Starters For The Table including Potato Skins �Poutine� with short ribs for $14, Crispy Korean Chicken Wings for $15, or Michael Mina classic Lobster Corn Dogs for $16.  Appetizers include Iacopi Farm Bean �Minestrone Soup� for $14, All Star Organics Little Gem Salad with pancetta and hard-boiled Quail egg for $14, American Wagyu Tartare for $18, or Bone Marrow & Oxtail for $16.  Entrees offer choices including San Francisco Cioppino for $32, Prather Ranch Lamb Chops for $48, Michael Mina classic Lobster Pot Pie at market price, or Chef Mina�s Burger �California Style� for $18.  Guests can choose from steaks, fish and shellfish From The Broiler.  Butter-poached Steaks include an 18 oz Bone-in Rib Eye for $42, 10 oz Filet Mignon for $45 or a 10 oz American Kobe Flatiron for $49. Seafood and Shellfish choices include Sockeye Salmon for $34, Crispy Branzino for $35 or Sea Scallops for $34.  Guests may choose Accompaniments like Foie Gras for $22, Bone Marrow for $16 or Lobster Tail for $27.  Classic American Side Dishes for $9 each include Black Truffle Mac & Cheese, Salt-Baked Potato with bacon and scallion crème fraîche, Grilled Asparagus, Spinach Soufflé, or Jalapeño Creamed Corn.

BOURBON STEAK will open for dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.  The bar will open nightly at 5:00 p.m.   Reservations for BOURBON STEAK can be made by calling 415-397-3003 or visit www.michaelmina.net.
 

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Contact: 

Kristin McLarty
[email protected]

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Also See: The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, Completes $40 million Restoration, its Largest Transformation In More Than a Century / June 2009
Strategic Hotels Investing $6.9 million into the Development of Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak Restaurant at the Fairmont Scottsdale / November 2007 
Intensive Training for 150 at the Michael Mina Operated SaltWater and Bourbon Steak Restaurants at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino Resort / October 2007
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