Photos courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography
On October 7, Chef Michael Mina and four-time NBA Champion and entrepreneur Stephen Curry celebrated the grand openings of their Bourbon Steak restaurant and The Eighth Rule bar, inside the lobby of the landmark Westin St. Francis on Union Square.
The evening began with a grand cable car arrival on Powell Street as Mina, Curry, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, Westin St. Francis General Manager Clif Clark, and Strategic Hotels & Resorts CEO Andre Zotoff rolled up to Union Square in true San Francisco style. In lieu of a ribbon cutting, a giant silver bison ridden by cowboy West Walker marked the opening in unforgettable fashion.
Notable guests included Michael Mina, Steph Curry with wife Ayesha Curry, E-40, Michelin-starred Chef Dominique Crenn, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, SF District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, The Union Square Alliance CEO Marisa Rodriguez, Former SF Mayor Willie Brown and members of the Golden State Warriors—celebrated with live jazz, dance performances, and signature dishes from Bourbon Steak San Francisco, including Wagyu steak, Truffle Cavatelli, and Caviar Twinkees. At The Eighth Rule, MINA Group Beverage Director Anthony Attanasio poured bourbon-forward cocktails and rare spirits for the 500-person celebration.
Warriors star Stephen Curry’s first-ever hospitality business and the revival of celebrity chef Michael Mina’s modern steakhouse draw over 500 guests inside the lobby location formerly known as Compass Rose where I used to hang out when I was assistant manager at Grand Hyatt Hotel on Union Square 35 years ago. The restaurant, Bourbon Steak, and adjacent whiskey bar, the Eighth Rule, will be officially opening for business at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco on Oct. 10. This same location is where Mina opened his first Michael Mina steak restaurant two decades ago. Mina operates 11 Bourbon Steak locations across the U.S., but hasn’t had one in San Francisco since 2016 when it originally closed at this same Westin St. Francis lobby location.
Bourbon Steak will serve Michael Mina’s renown dishes such as tuna tartare mixed tableside with a quail egg, Asian pear and habanero-sesame oil, lobster pot pie, and wood-grilled steaks and Bourbon Steak’s version of steak tartare, a potato cake with tartare and Wagyu torched at the table, and caviar Twinkie as dessert plus a cart around the dining room with fresh fish that can be grilled and served with three sauces. Also new to the San Francisco steakhouse is a six-person dining experience, which is only available by reservation and limited to two per night.
The new Bourbon Steak will also have its own Bourbon Lounge with drinks and dishes like a burger and tuna toro “cigars”, a cocktail version of the tuna tartare with pine nut-infused rum, Campari, lemon, spiced Asian pear syrup, and optional habanero dust. The stately, high-ceilinged, elegant space, featuring a classic Art Deco design, was built in 1904. The newly renovated 120-seat dining room has a custom marble floor, walnut millwork, green velvet curtains, booths, and a huge grand center bar.
Steph Curry’s bourbon bar, The Eighth Rule, is a 40-seat, reservations-only bar where Curry’s bourbon brand, Gentleman’s Cut, will be served, and Mina Group will operate the bar. Michael Mina and Steph have been planning this bar business since they met in 2017, when Mina teamed up with Curry’s wife, Ayesha Curry, to open San Francisco barbecue restaurant International Smoke.
The Eighth Rule is decorated in velvet, leather furnishings, and amber lighting. It will offer two menus from Mina Group beverage director Anthony Attanasio. A six-course, omakase-style cocktail tasting will focus on Curry’s Gentleman’s Cut whiskey line, truffle-vanilla whiskey sour, or seasonal highball. An à la carte drinks menu will include cocktails such as a honeydew-thyme gin sour and a Calabrian chili tequila highball. The bar will also be stocked with rare whiskies such as Weller Antique, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, and Bruichladdich.
Bourbon Steak Restaurant & Bar by Michael Mina and The Eighth Rule by Steph Curry along with Chotto Matte opened in 2023 with luxurious, elevated Japanese-Peruvian dining experience at the roof top of Macy’s buildin,g offering stunning rooftop views and a vibrant lounge with live DJs, are a part of the focus of the city of San Francisco’s efforts to revitalize Union Square. Both should make perfect spots for going back to Union Square for intimate gatherings and lively nights out for fine dining.
In 2004, when Michael Mina opened his steak restaurant at this same amazing Union Square location, it earned two Michelin stars in 2007. It later moved to the former Aqua space, where I first met Michael Mina when he started his career as sous chef for Aqua owner Charles Condy, who was my real estate client in 1986.
Mina now runs an international food empire and hospitality group with more than 30 restaurants across the globe, from Pabu Izakaya in San Francisco and Bungalow Kitchen in Tiburon on the same block as my Haute Living magazine lounge to Michael Mina in Las Vegas and Mina Brasserie in Dubai. Please visit Bourbon Steak and The Eighth Rule at 335 Powell Street, San Francisco.