HotelChatter - Tag: Michael Mina

San Francisco: Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak Moves Into The Westin St. Francis

MsRebecca — 2010-10-20T13:30:06-05:00

Even for a celeb chef, Michael Mina is a busy man. He has restaurants in seven states, with the latest--his 18th--opening at The Westin St. Francis just over a week ago.

The new restaurant--which replaces Mina's eponymous resto in the same space (it has a new location elsewhere)--is Bourbon Steak, which his fans may already know from Scottsdale, Miami, Washington D.C. and Detroit.

But the James Beard-winning chef promises to give this Bourbon Steak a Californian flavor, with a menu heavy on local product and farmers. (Omri Alfalo, executive chef, is the man who'll actually be running the show in the kitchen.)

Dana Point: Chef Michael Mina Dishes on Stonehill Tavern at St. Regis Monarch Beach

EricRosen — 2010-03-02T16:08:06-05:00

During a stay at the St. Regis Monarch Beach resort outside Laguna Beach, we stopped by Michael Mina’s restaurant there, Stonehill Tavern, for a quick sit-down with the famous chef-impresario.

While speaking with him, we found out about the exciting new changes in store for the restaurant now that it has a new executive chef, Brian Black, who comes to Stonehill after stints at Mina’s other restaurants and then at Loft at the Montage Laguna Beach just down the road from the St. Regis.

Dana Point: The Stonehill Tavern at St. Regis Monarch Beach Introduces $39 Value Menu

EricRosen — 2009-09-15T15:14:15-05:00

Though much of the recent reportage about the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point has been about the popular luxury resort’s financial troubles, we found at least one bright spot, economically speaking: the new $39, three-course prix fixe menu at Michael Mina’s Stonehill Tavern restaurant.

The budget menu is available Wednesday-Sunday (every night that the restaurant itself is open), and each night features a simple, hearty main course like Wednesday’s fish and chips, Thursday’s Kobe steak frites with roasted baby carrots, Friday’s cedar-plank salmon with potatoes and bacon vinaigrette, and Saturday’s roast prime rib with twice-baked potato.

San Francisco: Westin St. Francis Has Its New Look Ready

amandak — 2009-06-30T11:47:28-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/westinstfrancis.jpg" class="top"> In San Francisco, the famous <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Westin+St.+Francis/ian/105310">Westin St. Francis</a> has finished its <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/1/21535/59564/hotels/The_Westin_St_Francis_to_Get_Extreme_Makeover">extreme makeover</a>, and almost on time, too. When we last checked into things, they were promising a Spring 09 finish, and they've nearly got that right. And we're pretty impressed spending $40 million in just two years is not easy to do.It sounds like everything we were promised has been delivered: 37" flat screen TVs and handsome dark wood furniture in the rooms, a massive lobby renovation and the new Clock Bar opposite the restaurant. There is now WiFi throughout and as promised, a snazzy new security system, and they've also spent $2 million modernizing the elevators so you'd hope at that price

San Francisco: The Westin St. Francis to Get Extreme Makeover

DanielR — 2008-06-03T11:21:26-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/westinsfmakeover.jpg" class="imgborder">A couple weeks ago <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/14/18292/1960/hotels/The_Westin_St_Francis_Classic_Can_Mean_Weathered">we wrote</a> about the tired-looking <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Westin+St.+Francis/ian/105310"> Westin St Francis</a>. We don't want to assume we are some kind of soothsaying project of visionaries, but let's just say we found it very interesting that the grand dame of San Francisco has just announced they are undergoing a $40 million renovation anticipated to be complete in Spring 2009.Starting on the ground floor, the lobby renovation is headed up by none other than Jesus-for-hospitality-design, Rockwell Group. The lobby will take on a modern palette with blues and browns for the color scheme and guests will notice a cooler, more hip feel (picture hanging edison bulbs and sleek couches.) However, the traditional aspects that made