Mina Group Announces Chef Lee Bennett As New Executive Chef of Bourbon Steak & Bourbon Pub at Levi’s Stadium®
Santa Clara, Calif. (January 15, 2016) – Michelin-starred chef, Michael Mina has announced an exciting new addition to his acclaimed Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub locations in Santa Clara at Levi’s Stadium® with the arrival of internationally renowned chef, Lee Bennett. Bringing with him an extensive international influence, Bennett will oversee the operations of Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub as well as Michael Mina’s Tailgate and MINA Catering operations. Bennett will integrate high-touch service elements such as tableside service to the Bourbon Steak experience, collaborating closely with Michael Mina on presentation, quality and service for the operation as a whole.
Raised in Yorkshire, England, Bennett’s international experiences have included overseeing restaurants in Dubai, Singapore and now, the United States – bringing an international flavor to both the menu and its presentation. During his tenure as Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill, the restaurant retained its Michelin star. He became the youngest ever winner of the Craft Guild of Chefs “Restaurant Chef of the Year” award. In 2008, he joined D&D London as the Executive Chef of Le Pont de la Tour.
Bourbon Pub’s menu will offer a balance of popular pub fare and healthier, lighter dishes for lunch. Beginning with snacks & bites, items such as Avocado Toast ($8) and Ahi Tuna & Hamachi Poppers ($19) will be added to the menu, in addition to choices such as the Salmon Tartare ($17) and Duck Spring Roles ($13). Discussion worthy menu additions include the Mesquite-Grilled Berkshire Pork Chop ($34), which provides a sumptuous BBQ flavor and is served with broccoli rabe and vinegar peppers or choose from one of the hand-crafted burgers and sandwiches with standouts including The Gold Rush Burger ($17) with Niman Ranch Beef, hobb’s bacon, secret sauce, and aged cheddar, the Crispy Togarashi Chicken Sandwich ($25) with pickled daikon, carrot salad, and miso mayo or The Gyro ($17), with a braised lamb shoulder atop fermented slaw and za’atar yogurt served on grilled pita. Lighter fare and salads will feature options such as the Pub Salad in two sizes ($9/18) with pulled roasted chicken, castelvetrano olives, almonds and buttermilk dressing or the seasonal Fuji Apples & Endive salad ($15) with sharp cheddar, toasted pecans and maple vinaigrette.
At Bourbon Steak, the popular Shellfish Platter for two ($42/person) will be enhanced with a wider selection of crustaceans, while the new Seared Foie Gras starter ($27) will be served with cranberry cinnamon toast topped with gingersnap streusel. The Brokaw Avocado & Lobster ($24) served with fried walnuts, katafi and a side of schug, along with the Black Truffle Agnolotti ($19) served with mascarpone-polenta, brown butter and parmigiano-reggiano, will both offer a pleasing start.
New entrée items will include Crispy Tai Snapper ($38) served with shrimp fried rice, coconut curry and pineapple, Hudson Valley Duck Breast ($41) with brown butter-sage gnocchi, seared foie gras and celery root or the Main Lobster Pot Pie (MP) with truffled brandy cream and winter vegetables. From the Wood-Fired Grill, choose from a selection of certified Angus beef, Flannery’s custom dry aged beef or American Wagyu with selections of housemade sauces, in addition to the Triple-Cut Lamb Chops ($36), Pork Porterhouse ($34) or ‘Surf For Your Turf’ with offerings that will include Crab Oscar ($26) or Butter-Poached Lobster($36).
LOCATION / HOURS
Both Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub are located at 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way at Tasman Drive on the ground floor of the northeast corner of Levi’s® Stadium (Gate F) in Santa Clara, California. Valet service is available every day, and additional parking lot is located across Tasman Drive. Welcoming guests six days a week, year-round, Bourbon Pub is open for lunch and dinner Monday–Saturday and Bourbon Steak is open for dinner Tuesday–Saturday nights from 5 – 9 p.m. Bourbon Pub is also open on game day Sundays. Before the start of each home game, the spirited Michael Mina’s Tailgate draws hundreds for a member-only experience for 49ers season ticket holders, who are inspired by Chef Michael Mina’s elaborate, themed tailgate parties he has thrown with 49ers fans for more than two decades. Reservations can be made through Open Table or by calling408.217.2490. For additional details on Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub’s menus and Michael Mina’s Tailgate, visitwww.BourbonSteakandPub.com, ‘Like’ BourbonSteakPub on Facebook, and follow @BourbonSteakPub on Twitter andInstagram.
ABOUT MINA GROUP
Mina Group is a San Francisco-based restaurant management company specializing in creating and operating upscale, innovative restaurant concepts. Mina Group is led by Chef/Owner Michael Mina whose accolades include James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage” inductee in 2013, Bon Appétit Chef of the Year, Food Arts Silver Spoon Award Winner, San Francisco Magazine Chef of the Year, and International Food and Beverage Forum’s Restaurateur of the Year. Operating since 2002, Mina Group currently manages 27 restaurant properties including MICHAEL MINA in San Francisco (Esquire Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year 2011); BOURBON STEAK and CLOCK BAR at The Westin St. Francis on Union Square in San Francisco; RN74 at Millennium Tower in San Francisco and RN74 at the Joshua Green Building in Seattle; PABU and THE RAMEN BAR at 101 California in San Francisco; BOURBON STEAK & BOURBON PUB at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara; STRIPSTEAK at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; MICHAEL MINA Bellagio at Bellagio in Las Vegas; MICHAEL MINA 74 and STRIPSTEAK at Fontainebleau Miami Beach; LOCALE MARKET and FARMTABLE KITCHEN at Sundial St. Petersburg in Florida; and THE HANDLE BAR in Jackson Hole. For a complete list of restaurants please visithttp://michaelmina.net.
ABOUT LEVI’S® STADIUM
Named Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal, Levi’s® Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue. The $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 174 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats, and was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. It is a multi-purpose facility with flexibility that has allowed it to host a wide range of events – including domestic and international soccer, college football, ice hockey, motocross, concerts and various civic events – since opening in 2014. The venue is also expandable for major events such as WrestleMania 31 and the upcoming Super Bowl 50. Levi’s® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi’s® Stadium to ensure that the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to www.LevisStadium.com.
Lee Bennett, Executive Chef Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub, Levi’s® Stadium, Santa Clara
Chef Lee Bennett joins the MINA Group as Executive Chef for both the Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub locations at Levi’s Stadium® in Santa Clara, CA. Bringing his extensive international influence to both concepts, Bennett will collaborate closely with Michael Mina on presentation, quality and service for the operation as a whole.
Comfortable with overseeing large, multifaceted operations, his most recent post at Crafthouse & Angelica in London involved opening the multi-layered concept, including two separate operations, a team of 22 chefs and eight separate, seasonally rotating menus. Previously, he served as Executive Chef of Le Pont de la Tour in London, UK: an elegant, 19th-century former tea warehouse alongside Tower Bridge, which served classic French cuisine. There, Bennett oversaw the main restaurant and adjacent bar, food store, wine shop and bakery. Along with its vast size, the restaurant served as an icon amongst the London dining scene, inviting heads of states, royalty and major international celebrities, prepping Bennett for the vast Levi’s Stadium® environs of Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub.
Raised in Yorkshire, England, Bennett began his culinary career at 15, working at a variety of restaurants and hotels around Yorkshire including the Expanse Hotel and Hazelwood Castle. In 1999, he moved to London to serve as Chef de Partie at L’Anis, where he worked alongside Jason Atherton. He then joined Gordan Ramsay Holdings Limited and moved to Dubai to take the position of Sous Chef at Verre at age 21. After two years, he relocated to Paris to work at Pierre Gagnaire’s Restaurant and later alongside Alain Ducasse at the Hotel Plaza Athenee.
Bennett retuned to London as Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill. During his tenure, the restaurant retained its Michelin star. In 2007, he became the youngest winner of the Craft Guild of Chefs “Restaurant Chef of the Year” award, which is the leading chefs’ association in the UK. In 2008, he joined D&D London as the Executive Chef of Le Pont de la Tour. It was at this iconic riverside restaurant that Bennett truly made his mark with his modern French menu and haute cuisine. He also appeared on BBC’s “The Great British Menu” where top British Chefs competed for the chance to cook for the producers of British Food, where Prince Charles was the guest-of-honor. This television appearance was followed by an appearance on “Masterchef UK” and “Celebrity Masterchef UK”.
After six more years in London, he decided to venture to Asia to become Chef de Cuisine at the Equinox complex, Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore. During his time there he worked with 55 chefs across four kitchens and debuted a new menu, which featured modern European cuisine with traditional values. In additional to running the main restaurant, he oversaw five private dining rooms, a nightclub, and lounge bar. In 2013, he returned to his Yorkshire roots to become Executive Head Chef of Crafthouse and Angelica, one of the latest additions to the D&D London portfolio. Leading a team of more than 20 chefs, he focused on quality produce, professionally cooked and simply served. In 2014, Crafthouse was awarded four awards at the Yorkshire Oliver awards including, best chef, best fine dining, best service and best overall restaurant in Yorkshire. Bennett has also overseen dining events for luminaries including two UAE Kings, sports stars such as David Beckham and cooked luxury street party food for the royal wedding.
