Chef Michael Mina to replace Stonehill Tavern with a modern steakhouse

Orange County’s culinary scene is adding another star.

James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina has announced plans to open a Bourbon Steak restaurant at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. The steakhouse will replace Stonehill Tavern, which is to serve its last meal Dec. 31.

The new restaurant is expected to open in February.

Bourbon Steak is regarded for its cuts of prime meat cooked in Mina’s signature style, first poached in butter, then finished on the grill. Ingredients will be sourced from local farmers and purveyors to highlight the best of the region.

The menu will feature the “World Wide Wagyu,” a Japanese A5 strip loin, American skirt steak and Australian short rib; Michael’s Lobster Pot Pie with locally sourced lobster, brandied lobster cream, Hamakua mushrooms and black truffle; Trio of Duck Fat Fries and Beignets with Macallan Scotch Pot de Creme.

Beverages will include American and Japanese whiskeys and a vintage wine collection of Bordeaux, Burgundy and California classics.

The opening will be Mina Group’s first Orange County location. The company manages 29 restaurants nationwide. There are five other Bourbon Steak locations — Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Miami, Scottsdale, Ariz., Washington, D.C. and another planned for Nashville.

Mina has been a featured guest chef at the James Beard House and cooked for U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

For more information, visit michaelmina.net.

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Twitter: @KathleenLuppi