San Francisco's culinary scene is set for a notable boost with the reopening of Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak and the debut of the adjacent whiskey bar, The Eighth Rule, at the Westin St. Francis. Curry is backing this new venture as he steps into the hospitality game. The Eighth Rule will feature his bourbon brand Gentleman's Cut, as detailed in a San Francisco Chronicle report.
The joint project represents not only a return for Mina to a location steeped in his own history but a foray for Curry into an industry outside his basketball stardom. With a legacy of celebrated San Francisco establishments, Mina is reinventing the steakhouse experience to make it more immersive and unique. "You get sick of everyone telling you San Francisco is dead," he told Hoodline, voicing his commitment to the city's revival.
Boasting 40 seats, The Eighth Rule is an invitation into Curry's vision of the bourbon experience, with reservations required to maintain an exclusive vibe. Curry and Mina have been planning this collaboration since 2017, hinting at a partnership that merges celebrity, sports, and fine dining in a way San Francisco hasn't seen before. "Creating my own bourbon brand paired with my friendship with Michael is like a master class in hospitality!" Curry expressed in a statement obtained by Hoodline.
At Bourbon Steak, diners can expect Mina's iconic dishes, such as the tuna tartare, mixed at the table, and new inventive twists like caviar Twinkies. Meanwhile, The Eighth Rule is setting itself apart. The Mina Group's beverage program curator, Anthony Attanasio, is developing a unique cocktail flight that explores Curry's whiskey through various styles, including a truffle-vanilla whiskey sour and highballs that change with the seasons, as Eater SF highlighted.
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