Even if you are chef Michael Mina. Even if your goblet runneth over with Michelin stars and James Beard Awards. Even if you’ve cooked for three U.
S. presidents and lead a global hospitality group with more than 30 restaurants (including five in Las Vegas). Even if all this is yours, it’s still possible to have kitchen jitters.
In late August, Mina will open an outpost of Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons, just off the lobby. Charlie Palmer Steak occupied the space for more than 20 years before closing during the pandemic. Mina began his career in New York City at the old Aureole, Palmer’s flagship restaurant.
Now, Mina is set to take over a room that once bore his mentor’s name. “I’m completely honored,” Mina said of coming full circle. “Chef Palmer has had the biggest influence on my career.
He gave me my first break to cook at Aureole, and my whole career, he was the person who was two steps ahead of what I wanted to do next. “I will have butterflies in my stomach when I cook for him when we open Bourbon Steak.” Las Vegas marks the eighth Bourbon Steak for Mina, and like its sister restaurants, the Strip outpost combines elements distinct to its home city (more on that in a moment) with the chef’s continuing exploration of what a steakhouse means today.
“There is a magic in steakhouses, but there is still a lot of room to grow,” Mina said. “Taking all of the items that you want to find at a steakhouse and then modernizing them with great product .
