Bourbon Steak

Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell St., San Francico (Union Square)  

Take one clubby, handsome dining room and remove all stuffiness. Add the classic cuts of prime beef, some heirloom spinach, and a side of macaroni and cheese with a lavish dusting of truffles. Cue soundtrack of the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, and a little Springsteen, and you have Bourbon Steak, Michael Mina’s definition of the modern steak house—casual yet every bit as luxurious as a juicy filet. And, if you’re a BBE member, head on over to the St. Francis for an exclusive prix fixe that will give you a sampling of Mina’s hand-picked favorites, starting with a cool and creamy white Gazpacho that’s a fine blend of chilled, pureed cucumbers and almonds, dramatically poured into a bowl with a tangle of smoked tomato aspic and tangy grapes—a splash of icy ocean on a blistering day. The filet mignon, not available on the usual dinner menu, is poached in butter to ensure even cooking throughout before being grilled to render a tantalizing dark brown crust. For dessert, the hand-cut beignets are a flavor stunner, filled with cinnamon sugar and Macallan caramel custard. Return another day for Michael Mina’s Signature root beer float—layers of sassafras ice cream and icy root beer sorbet in soda served with a side of cookies—because you will want to come back.

BBE prix fixe menu

appetizer (choose one)
White gazpacho
cucumber snow, smoked tomato gelée, fizzy grapes

All Star Organics baby butter lettuce
pancetta, Point Reyes blue, avocado “goddess” dressing

entrée (choose one)
Ebisu Dai (sweet snapper)
vegetable tian, ratatouille vinaigrette, and Ecopia Farms greens

Filet mignon
red-pepper coulis, vegetable escabéche, bordelaise

dessert
hand-cut beignets
cinnamon sugar, Macallan caramel custard

sweet seats

The room has high ceilings but a cozy feeling, even more so at the booths around the edge of the room. The tables near the street afford glimpses of Union Square through the mostly screened windows.

chew on this

Bourbon Steak’s old Kentucky home: While there are bourbon flights on the menu, the restaurant’s name refers not to the liquor but to what had been the oldest continuously operating stockyard in the United States, in Louisville.

hours

Sun.–Thurs. 
5:30 PM–10 PM; 
Fri.–Sat. 
5:30 PM–10:30 PM

price range

$16 (falafel burger) to $72 (8 oz. Australian rib cap)

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