Levi's Stadium is going to attract tons of attention to Silicon Valley over the next couple years with events like the Super Bowl and World Cup. Unfortunately, there are very few food and hang out options walking distance to the stadium, which also creates a traffic nightmare as people have little reason to stick around after games and events. Clara's Junction appears to be the first compelling option, at least until Related's multi-billion dollar mixed used projects across the street gets going.
What used to be a Carl's Jr. will become a 18,000 SQFT indoor/outdoor social space complete with a restaurant and over 20 beers on tap. Clara's Junction will also have craft cocktails, lawn games, fire pits, a pit BBQ and a taco truck.
The project couldn't come a moment too soon. In addition to games and events, 4,500 residential units are being built in the immediate area. There is tremendous opportunity to build some great restaurants both here and in North San Jose a couple blocks away.
Two of the largest sporting events in the world are coming to Levi's Stadium in 2026: the Super Bowl and multiple World Cup games. In fact it will be the only stadium to ever host both of those events in the same year. The 49ers and Levi's Stadium have recently announced major upgrades to the stadium--which originally cost $1.3 billion to build over 10 years ago.
It will get the largest 4K display in the entire league coming in at 13,000 SQFT. The stadium will also get a new LED field lighting system that will brighten playing surfaces for primetime games. Stadium and club areas will have a refreshed look and feel, and some of those upgrades will be in place this season.
Also part of the upgrade list is faster WiFi with 1,300 new access points as well as improved cellular services with new 5G systems by Verizon. The main concourse will get cashierless food and beverage stands to speed up service. There will be two new open-air patio bars and 120 remodeled luxury suites.
The total cost clocks in around $200 million. 90% of that will be financed by the 49ers and 10% will be from the Santa Clara Stadium Authority.
Our neighbors at Santa Clara will once again be hosting the Super Bowl in 2026. Only two other Super Bowls have been hosted in the Bay Area. Super bowl 19 where the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins at Stanford Stadium and Super Bowl 50, Levi's Stadium first Super Bowl.
2026 is going to be a huge year for Levi's Stadium as they will also be hosting FIFA World Cup matches. The 49ers are planning to borrow $125 million from the NFL for stadium upgrades to prepare for these big events.
The biggest winner of Super Bowl LX (60) is likely going to be San Jose. There will be a huge economic boost including events, hotel bookings, and visitors flying into SJC. These will come without any sort of subsidy, liability, or major risks which will mostly be shouldered by Santa Clara (there is a lot of economic upside for them as well).
Given the current issues San Francisco is facing with crime, homelessness, and the general logistics of it being an hour or two away with traffic--I think San Jose will end up with more of the planned events surrounding the Super Bowl than the last time around.
San Jose, CA - Santana Row adds to the Bay Area’s celebration of the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium with a long weekend of football festivities at Silicon Valley’s Premier Destination. Come join the fun!
The Beer Blitz Presented by Anheuser Busch Thursday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Santana Row kicks off Super Bowl 50 weekend by hosting The Beer Blitz Presented by Anheuser Busch, an evening featuring 10 breweries in eight locations with each stop representing a division of the NFL. (Some locations will have more than one brewery.)
Partnering with The Beerwalk organizers, the Santana Row event includes an evening of unlimited tastings in the participating locations, an official Big Game swag bag from Anheuser Busch and a passport for shopping and dining discounts to stores and restaurants at The Row! Anheuser Busch will have a pop-up shop in Santana Row Park where other activities are also planned.
Tickets: $100 per person and limited in number. Includes:
Unlimited tastings
Souvenir pint glass
Gift bags with Big Game merchandise
Check-in Location and time:
Santana Row Park, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sponsors:
Budweiser
Bud Light
Shock Top Featured imported breweries:
Stella Artois
Hoegaarden
Leffe
Featured National Breweries:
Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA
Golden Road Brewing, Los Angeles, CA
Goose Island, Chicago, IL
10 Barrel Brewing Company, Eugene, OR Highlighted Local Breweries:
Red Branch Cider Company, Sunnyvale, CA
Santa Clara Valley Brewing, San Jose, CA
New Bohemia Brewing Co, Santa Cruz, CA
Golden State Brewery, Santa Clara, CA
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, San Francisco, CA
Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA Tasting locations:
Santana Row Park
lululemon athletica
Kit and Ace
Pasta Pomodoro
Rosie McCann's Irish Pub & Restaurant
Orvis
Roots and Rye
Sino restaurant
Straits restaurant
Super Bowl activities at The Row, Thursday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb. 7
One of the Bay Area’s most-talked about destination for food, fun and festivities
is hosting Super Bowl events and offering shuttle service to hotel guests from select hotels and to Levi’s Stadium on game day. More details coming soon!
Live music in the parks and plazas from Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016 through Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.
Complimentary round-trip shuttle service from The Fairmont and Hilton hotels in San Jose are offered on Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6. The shuttle service begins at 11 a.m. each day in front of each hotel. The service will run every 45 minutes continuously all day to and from Santana Row, with the last shuttle departing each hotel at approximately 8:45 p.m. The shuttle will drop guests off at Santana Row, which is about five miles away, and guests are picked up at the same location as the drop-off to return to the hotels. Questions? Contact Santana Row Concierge, 408.55.4611.
Super Bowl ticket holders can conveniently pick up their tickets in the days leading up to the Big Game. Ticketmaster will be on site at Santana Row, next to Z Gallerie.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Santana Row will have its ongoing shuttle service to Levi’s Stadium for those going to the game. Shuttles depart at 1 p.m., about two and a half hours before game time (3:15 p.m.) and tickets are $30 for each passenger. See details below.
Super Bowl 50 Viewing Parties and Happy Hour Specials for Super Bowl 50!
Several Santana Row restaurants and bars are inviting football fans to enjoy the Big Game and feast on festive food and drinks:
Left Bank Brasserie will be showing the game on two large screens in the bar area and has an exclusive happy hour beginning at 3 p.m. Wings, sliders and other nibbles for $6, plus select wines and beers for $5.
Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub & Restaurant will have a large projector screen in the restaurant as well as smaller TVs in the bar area.
The Counter will be showing the game and is offering happy hour specials all day, including half off starters, $2 mini burgers, $2 off draft beer, wine, signature cocktails and adult shakes. Wings are six for $6.
VBar at Hotel Valencia airs the game in the bar area and will have special hours from Thursday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb. 7. Drink specials and a special Super Bowl menu items are offered.
Vintage Wine Bar won’t be televising the game but is celebrating anyway with all-you-can-drink-champagne (featuring Taittinger, Pommery and Delamotte) for $60 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
LB Steak will have all day happy hour and the Big Game showing on two TVs.
Calling all Super Bowl 50 Ticket Holders! Take the Round Trip Shuttle to Levi’s Stadium from Santana Row
Avoid the headache of game day traffic! Take the shuttle from The Row to Levi’s Stadium for a hassle-free day that starts with easy parking, shopping and dining perks.
Shuttles leave two hours before game time.
Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, Super Bowl 50 (departs at 1 p.m. for 3:15 p.m. kickoff)
The shuttle registration begins about 30 minutes before departure time. Registration and shuttles are located near the CineArts Theatre.
Your $30 ticket, which can be purchased in the concierge office or at SantanaRow.com, includes:
Round trip transportation to Levi’s Stadium
Free parking at Santana Row
Santana Row shopping and dining incentives
Details:
When you arrive at Santana Row, park your vehicle in the designated, secured parking lot on Winchester Boulevard in the former Century 21 Theatre area. Walk across Winchester Boulevard to Olsen Drive where the registration table and bus will be waiting to load in front of the theater. The bus departs at the scheduled time (two hours prior to game time), and will not wait for passengers.
Levi’s Stadium drop-off site:
The bus will park at the official shuttle drop-off location at the stadium. One hour after the conclusion of the game, the bus will depart from the same location. Passengers not on bus at the specified departure time, will not receive transportation back to Santana Row.
~~~
About Santana Row
Santana Row, a 647,000 square foot mixed-use development in San Jose, CA, is Silicon Valley’s premier destination for shopping, dining, living and working. Santana Row features over 70 shops, 20 restaurants, a boutique hotel and movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail & restaurant collection, Santana Row offers 615 luxury rental homes, 219 privately owned condos and 65,000 square feet of Class A office space. Santana Row is a property of www.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.santanarow.com.
About Federal Realty
Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Founded in 1962, our mission is to deliver long term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply. Our expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities. Federal Realty’s 90 properties include over 2,600 tenants, in approximately 21 million square feet, and 1500 residential units.
Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 48 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visit www.FederalRealty.com.
There are going to be some major VTA route changes during the Super Bowl next week. The most substantial of which is a complete closure of Light Rail in front of the stadium itself. If you are one of the lucky ones with Super Bowl tickets and are planning to take Light Rail to the big game--or you just plan on using Light Rail at any time on February 7th--you should watch the video below.
Team San Jose has created a short video with our mayor and San Jose-native Jim Plunkett. Stay tuned over the next week for more info on all the great San Jose events happening during Super Bowl week.
It is extremely rare that I post about an event happening in San Francisco, but this deserves a mention. "Super Bowl City" is a village for football fans that is being setup on Market Street between Main and Spear Streets in SF from January 30th through February 7th. San Jose is actually going to get its own pavilion in the village, which will showcase attractions and activities that are only found in San Jose. This might be the first time I've heard about San Jose getting promoted at a major event like this up north--expected attendance is in the hundreds of thousands.
San José knows the way to Super Bowl City San José Pavilion a must-do stop at San Francisco-based fan village during Game Week
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Today, the City of San José and Team San Jose announced that, during Game Week, the free-to-the-public fan village will include the San José Pavilion, a cultural space showcasing attractions and activities found only in San José.
“San José is home to a number of world-class attractions and a truly unique innovative spirit,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo. “This is a great opportunity for Super Bowl visitors, and other Bay Area residents, to explore many of the things that make San José such a great place to live, work and play.”
Super Bowl City presented by Verizon is open from Saturday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. The pavilion is located on Market Street between Main and Spear Streets in San Francisco.
“San Jose’s presence in Super Bowl City is a tremendous opportunity to promote our destination to visiting fans and locals who may not know all that our city has to offer,” said Team San Jose CEO Karolyn Kirchgesler.
Activations in the San José Pavilion will include local cultural treasures, city concierges, hackathons, innovation stations, robot wars, and more. Programming for San José’s presence in Super Bowl City is produced by Team San Jose, San José’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Super Bowl 50 provides us with an opportunity to shine a light on the entire region,” said Keith Bruce, CEO of the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee. “We’re excited for the City of San Jose and Team San Jose to join us in Super Bowl City and celebrate the festivities with fans from around the world.”
Super Bowl City presented by Verizon is the Host Committee’s fan village designed to celebrate the milestone Super Bowl 50 and to highlight its unique place in the Bay Area.
For the latest information on Game Week happenings in San José, visit www.sanjoseca.gov/SB50
About Team San Jose
Team San Jose (TSJ) is an innovative partnership unifying the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotels, arts, labor and venues to deliver an exceptional visitor experience. TSJ manages the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, California Theatre, Center for the Performing Arts, City National Civic, Montgomery Theater, Parkside Hall, and South Hall. For more information, visit www.sanjose.org.
About San José Office of Economic Development
The San José Office of Economic Development is committed to a vital, competitive local economy that increases prosperity for people and companies. OED guides economic strategy, provides assistance for business success, connects employers with trained workers, and provides arts and cultural resources to our community. For more information, visit www.sjeconomy.com and follow us on Twitter: @sjeconomy, #sjplace.
About the City of San José
From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San José has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San José is the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley—the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, to work and to live. For more information, visit www.sanjoseca.gov.
Downtown San Jose has ambitious plans for Super Bowl Week. Plaza de Cesar Chavez is going to be transformed into the epicenter of South Bay festivities thanks to $150,000 in privately funded improvements (split between the Adobe Foundation and the Knight Foundation).
The trees will be lit with animated LED displays that are synchronized with both live and recorded music. There will be a new cafe and beer garden open from noon until 10pm and well as food trucks along the perimeter of the park. They will even have games for visitors such as a scaled-down football field and ping pong tables.
Some of the attractions will be used to showcase what can be done in urban parks, while some others like lighting improvements and new furniture will be permanent. That is a big win for our top park in Downtown San Jose. Hopefully we will do more events like this in the future. A permanent cafe in the middle of the park would not be a bad idea either.
You will be able to check out the new and improved Plaza de Cesar Chavez from January 29th to February 7th.
We all know that San Jose is going to be a major beneficiary of Super Bowl 50 in less than three months. Every hotel room that week has been booked and several events have been planned from San Jose ranging from "Super Bowl Opening Night" at the SAP Center, an expanded Downtown Ice season, a new Guadalupe River Run, and a Super Bowl-themed South First Friday. The SB50 committee is still coming up with ideas for getting Downtown in the Super Bowl spirit. In his sports blog, Mark Purdy posted a new idea from the last SB50 briefing--lighting San Jose in gold during Super Bowl weekend.
Personally, I think this is a great idea. Residential, commercial, and office buildings would be encouraged to use gold illumination during Super Bowl week. This would create a unified theme across the Downtown core. I actually think we should take it a step further. With modern LED lighting, it is easy and relatively inexpensive to plaster any color up on a building. So why not bathe the city in teal during Sharks playoffs or blue for the Earthquakes. The city could turn red for Valentine's Day or Green for St. Patrick's day. It is a low cost way to add some more character and brand identity to the streets of Downtown.
Downtown Ice returns next week for its longest season in history. The one-of-a-kind skating rink at the Circle of Palms in Downtown San Jose will be open from November 13th all the way until February 7th. Super Bowl 50 will bring in thousands of visitors to San Jose and the rink will be open an extra 28 days to help entertain them.
Hawaiian Airlines / Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice is also hosting an opening celebration on Monday, November 16th at 5pm. Kristin Yamaguchi will be doing a routine to help kick off the season during the ceremony. For more information such as operating hours, pricing, and discounts, read the full release below.
Photos by Daniel Garcia
SAN JOSE – Hawaiian Airlines / Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice returns Nov. 13 to the Circle of Palms in the heart of downtown San Jose’s holiday attractions. The skating rink will remain open an additional 28 days beyond its normal closing date to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected to stay in San Jose the weeks ahead of Super Bowl 50, to be played Feb. 7, 2016, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
With Hawaiian Airlines as title sponsor, Yamaguchi and her Always Dream Foundation partner with the San Jose Downtown Association to produce the outdoor rink at 120 S. Market St.
“It brings great joy to see all the families celebrate the holiday season at Downtown Ice, which remains one of the most unique and attractive outdoor skating rinks in the country,” said Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic figure skating gold-medal champion. “I am honored to once again be associated with such a holiday treasure.”
Yamaguchi will help open the rink this season. An opening celebration is planned for Monday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m. at the rink.
More than 200,000 skaters and spectators are expected to attend Downtown Ice between Nov. 13 and Feb. 7. The rink generates an estimated $3 million in economic impact to the downtown business community each year.
Skaters glide around 32 glimmering palms from which the circular rink gains its iconic form. During November, early December and after the holidays in January, Downtown Ice is open 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5 p.m.-midnight on Friday; noon-midnight on Saturday; and noon-9 p.m. on Sunday. During the winter break the rink is open 11 a.m.-midnight daily. During the week of the big game in February, the rink will extend its hours.
The $13-17 admission covers skate rental and one unlimited skating session.
Downtown Ice is located within steps of Christmas in the Park displays, which occupies Plaza de Cesar Chavez starting Nov. 28. These two downtown San Jose holiday attractions are supported in part by participants in the 5-kilometer TiVo Santa Run Silicon Valley held on Dec. 13. Register at www.santarunsv.com.
Nov. 13 – 24
Friday: 5 p.m. - midnight
Saturday: noon - midnight
Sunday: noon - 9 p.m.
Monday-Thursday: 5 - 9 p.m.*
* Monday, Nov. 16 the rink does not open to the general public until 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 25 – 27 (Thanksgiving Holiday)
Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. - midnight
Thursday, Nov. 26, Thanksgiving: 2 p.m. - midnight
Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving: 11 a.m. - midnight
Admission:
Nov. 13 – Dec. 17 AND Jan. 4 – Jan. 31: Children 10 & younger: $13 and 11 & older: $15
Dec. 18 – Jan. 3 (Winter Break) and Feb. 1 – 7: Children 10 & younger $15 and 11 & older: $17
Cash, Paypal, Visa, Mastercard or Discover accepted. Admission includes ice time and rental skates (skate sizes range from toddler 8 to men's 13).
Skate all you want (no in-and-out privileges)/ First-come, first-serve.
Address (starting November 13): 120 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 291-0525 (Rink) or (408) 279-1775 (SJDA)
San Jose is going to be a primary beneficiary of Super Bowl 50 in early 2016. Several auxiliary events will taking place in Downtown San Jose and the Super Bowl committee even created a whole two day itinerary for those visiting our city. You can see their recommendations right over here.
What do you think of their recommendations? Did they get it right?
Since it was announced that Santa Clara would host Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium next year, it was expected that the city of San Jose would receive some of the benefits as well. After all, our city is a lot closer to the game than San Francisco. San Jose hotels, tourist attractions, and entertainment venues will all do quite well during Super Bowl week. The good news is that the benefits are going to extend beyond that.
A few weeks ago the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee confirmed that one of the teams will be headquartered at the Marriott Hotel in Downtown San Jose and practice at Spartan Stadium. The team will literally be living in Downtown San Jose for the whole week. The hotel is right next to the San Jose Convention Center, The City National Civic, and The Montgomery Theater... I think the odds are quite good that the team will plan some events in the area much like the WWE did during Wrestlemania. There are already talks of using the SAP Center to stage the Super Bowl Media Day. Best of all, these benefits are coming to San Jose for free. Heck, SJSU is even getting a Football locker room upgrade out of this.
Fortunately, San Jose is planning to take full advantage of the situation. Our awesome Downtown Ice Rink in the Circle of Palms will be extended through February 7th and a "party zone" will likely be created Downtown for fans.
Who knows, by the next time a Super Bowl is hosted at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara and San Jose might fully become the official host cities with the auxiliary events in SF.
Several weeks ago I had the chance to tour and dine at Bourbon Steak & Pub at the new Levi's Stadium, which is actually three completely different experiences. You have a high-end restaurant, a more casual Pub, and the Tailgate which is used for private parties and special events such as away game buffets. All of it is run by Michael Mina along with executive chef John Cahill (formerly at Cafe des Amis). This project is so important to Michael Mina (long-time 49ers fan) that he is planning to make this restaurant his home-base for at least the next year. If you dine at Bourbon Steak, I would say there is a good chance he will have a hand in preparing some of your food and might even come out and say hello and pose for a few photos with diners. For a celebrity chef with two-dozen restaurants, he is surprisingly friendly and approachable.
There are two different hostess desks for the restaurants. One for Tailgate and another that is shared between Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub. That was one of my few gripes as I really think the Steakhouse deserved it's own desk.
Walking around Bourbon Steak and Tailgate, there were lobster pots that could hold 200 lobsters each on game day, a wood burning grill, 49ers Cheerleaders, a DJ that spins every day (Clee, who also is the official DJ during 49ers games), and the most impressive thing of all... an epic two-story wood-fire rotisserie! At 13 feet tall, it is the largest indoor rotisserie in the world. It is so large that it can cook a whole Waygu cow and is used to roast whole hogs for Happy Hour.
I happened to be there during a 49ers away game and had a chance to watch them prep for the fanciest game-day buffet I have seen over at the Tailgate area. Imagine Skylander Ranch 100% Waygu beef short loin, fresh crab, and a premium taco bar. You can get beers and signature cocktails by the cooler and there are plenty of games like bocce ball, ping pong, etc. to entertain you during commercials. The cost for the buffet is $35 for a single pass or $60 for all-you-can-eat. Completely worth it based on the quality of the food if you ask me. Tailgate has a second floor for private dining which is where the 49ers come to party after games (there is a door that leads directly there from the locker room).
The bars in Bourbon Pub and Tailgate have a huge assortment of 30-40 craft beers in addition to popular favorites. Of course, there are also American Bourbons from small batch barrels that help give this place its name.
A couple more unique things and I'll move on to the food. This is the only Bourbon steak that has a merchandise booth and the only one with an element of gamification. There is a custom "Fantasy Flip" interactive app that is somewhat similar to Fantasy Football. You get game points to redeem for prizes that go all the way up to having a dinner out on the Levi's Stadium field.
Over at Bourbon Steak the first thing I noticed when walking in were the assortment of TVs everywhere, pretty uncommon for a high-end restaurant. They were slightly dimmed and there was no audio and are only on when there is a special game going on. When they are turned off, they turn into mirrors--so freakin cool!
Food
Instead of bread for the table, Bourbon Steak serves three different kinds of fries with a variety of exotic flavorings and sauces. There were ancho chili fries with pickled ketchup, shallot fries with honey mustard, and herbed fries with truffle aioli (my favorite).
Just because bread isn't served by default, doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the restaurant. On the contrary, YOU MUST ASK FOR THE BREAD. Think of it as a secret item, like asking for animal style fries at In & Out. The awesome Bourbon Streak bread is made in house each day with black truffle butter.
The first course I had was a Michael Mina signature dish: tuna tar-tar mixed with quail egg, pine nuts, spices, and toast. You get to see each individual component of the dish and then it is mixed for you table-side. If you are okay with raw fish, this item is a must.
Second was beet & goat cheese salad, perhaps the best I've had anywhere. Other people that I have recommended this dish to have said the same thing. Not only was it delicious, but it was very artfully put together.
Next was a play on a Bay Area classic, Dungeness crab chioppino. I think this was my least favorite, not because anything was wrong with it but because everything else was so exceptional.
The first main course was swordfish + white beans and artichoke hearts. The fish was cooked perfectly and paired brilliantly with the white beans and sauces.
Finally, we get to the highlight of the night. An American Waygu Ribcap with creamed corn & broccoli. This was easily on my top 3 list for the best steaks I have ever had. The meat practically melted in your mouth. Despite being gluttonously full from all the other courses, I couldn't spare even a bite of the marbled steak. At $80+, this cut doesn't come cheap but is well worth it for a special occasion.
Drinks You can't go to a place called Bourbon Steak and not get some Bourbon-based drinks! If you can handle a stiff drink, I would highly recommend their Bourbon tasting. This is quite a unique drinking experience that features three different Bourbons. To enhance their flavors, each comes paired with items like citrus, cinnamon, or vanilla--which is then smoked and used to coat each glass before the Bourbon is poured. They also serve this at Bourbon Pub and is worth a trip to get this alone. Everything is done table-side and it was one of the highlights of the night for me.
My wife doesn't like strong drinks so she ordered a Bramble, which she loved. She's very tough to please when it comes to alcohol, so the bartenders nailed this one. I also ordered my favorite cocktail, an Old Fashioned. It was surprisingly smooth and just had the right amount of sweetness. The quality of the cocktails was right up there with mixology-type bars.
While we did not order wine with our food, they had an encyclopedia of vintages to choose from. Prices for a bottle start around $50 and go all the way up to the cost of a midsize sedan. No seriously, there is a wine on the list called Domaine de la Romanee - Corti that will run you $19,000. I'm guessing its being saved for the 49ers after a Superbowl win.
Dessert We shared two different desserts before having to be rolled to our car. The first was an exceptional cheese course. I didn't write down the names of the cheeses but they all met my wife's approval, including a blue cheese which she typically does not like. There was a delicious croissant toast to accompany the cheeses.
The second was a Devil's food cake with malted vanilla ice cream. If you see this on the menu when you go, I would highly recommend it.
Service
I really have to thank the restaurant for the outstanding service we received. Each course was well-timed and everyone that we spoke too was friendly and patient with my barrage of questions. I would say this was on par with the Michelin Star restaurants I have been to in the Bay Area. Our waitress even ran out to the street when she noticed that I forgot my notebook on the table. This will be my new go-to restaurant for special events like Anniversaries!
Across the street from Levi's Stadium is going to be one of the most epic development projects in the history of the Bay Area. Below are a couple recent renders of Phase 1 of that project called Centennial Gateway. This will include 120,000 SQFT of retail, 600,000 SQFT of office, a boutique hotel, and a plaza. This could be ready as soon as 2016 (but likely later). The crazy thing is, this isn't even the big project that is being planned for the area.
Retail West is leading the retail strategy for the project and they are calling this "more contemporary, lively, and modern than anything the Bay Area has ever seen." Big words--will be very interesting to see how this turns out.
On a separate note, I had the chance to dine at the new Michael Mina restaurant in the stadium, Bourbon Steak, and it was phenomenal. I'll have a full review next week.
As you all probably have heard, parking at Levi's Stadium can be both an expensive and time consuming proposition. Light Rail may seem like the next best option, but VTA is experiencing the highest volume of passengers it has had in a long time--perhaps ever--during games. Waits could easily exceed an hour to get on a train after the game. So what other options are there? VTA has a ton of express buses from all around Silicon Valley that will travel to Levi's Stadium and back with minimal stoppage. Check out the map below to find the stop closest to you. While I'm at it, I also included a couple videos about the express bus service, a map showing the epic Light Rail service on stadium days (with rare triple trains), and a link to the VTA Webpage for Levi's Stadium Service.
This week marks the official opening of Michael Mina's second restaurant in Silicon Valley (Arcadia in the ground floor of the Downtown San Jose Marriott was the first). Bourbon Steak & Pub combines both a high-end steakhouse and a more relaxed Pub environment. The Pub will have 50 craft beers, farm-to-table cuisine, and 70 HDTVs for watching sporting events. On the other hand Bourbon Steak will offer a premium dining environment with Certified Prime Angus steaks, Japanese Wagyu, and Dry-Aged Duck. The restaurant will be open all year round and will have special events during game days.
For more information, scroll down for the full press release. You can make reservations over here.
Chef Michael Mina teams with the san Francisco 49ers to Bring Unique
dual-restaurant dining concept to Levi’s Stadium
Bourbon Steak & Pub to Welcome Bay Area Patrons Daily, Year-Round
for Lunch, Dinner and Viewing Parties
(SANTA CLARA, CA) – Bay Area culinary great Chef Michael Mina has unveiled Bourbon Steak & Pub at Levi’s Stadium®, a new concept in stadium dining. Bringing a high-end steakhouse and relaxed pub together under one roof, Bourbon Steak & Pub offers a range of dining experiences to suit the needs of sports fans, foodies, concert goers and local residents alike – seven days a week, all year long. Bourbon Steak & Pub is now accepting reservations beginning Aug. 11.
Bourbon Pub will be the premier lunch, dinner and gameday destination offering the perfect space to kick back and cheer on your favorite teams while enjoying a variety of 50 craft beers and a vast menu filled with reinvented bar bites. Bourbon Pub will serve fresh, farm-to-table cuisine that reflects the spirit of a modern pub at affordable price points. With a focus on shareable dishes, featured menu items include Berkshire Pork Ribs, a Ecopia Farms Greens salad, the Bourbon Burger, Smokin’ Double Barrel Wagyu Dog, Crispy Flounder Fish & Chips and a 38 North Half Chicken straight from the restaurant’s one-of-a-kind, 13-foot tall, fully rotating rotisserie. With 70 high-definition televisions, subscriptions to all major sports cable packages and a Yahoo! Sports ticker that will run through the space highlighting fantasy football stats, Bourbon Pub will be the ultimate viewing party location for any sporting event, on any given day.
Bourbon Steak offers a more private, premium dining environment for the true Michael Mina steakhouse experience. With a focus on seasonal regional cooking, Bourbon Steak will feature tableside service with a heightened guest experience, along with steaks that are sourced from premium producers from around the world. Signature dishes will be served directly from the rotisserie and a state-of-the-art seafood boiling station, and will include items such as Certified Prime Angus steaks, A5 Japanese Wagyu, Dry-Aged Duck for Two, Wild Striped Bass, Black Truffle Mac and Cheese and innovative vegetable sides from famed South Bay farms. Guests dining in Bourbon Steak can also enjoy a flight of spirits from the restaurant’s Bourbon Cart, individually smoked tableside to accentuate the flavor profiles of each.
“Bourbon Steak & Pub at Levi’s Stadium has been the ultimate passion project for me,” said Mina. “I’ve had the rare opportunity to pair two of the things I love most – food and the football – to create two dining experiences that will create the perfect atmosphere for fans of sports and fans of great food.”
Echoing the high level of innovation found in every corner of Levi’s®Stadium, Bourbon Steak & Pub features a state-of-the-art open kitchen, delivering a culinary theatre with a wood-burning grill, a seafood action station with a floating suspension frame that elevates the burners, and a show-stopping, one-of-a-kind, 13-foot tall, fully rotating rotisserie that’s equipped to hold up to 1,000 pounds of meat.
“We believe Levi’s Stadium to be the gold standard in next-generation stadium experiences,” said Paraag Marathe, San Francisco 49ers President. “Bourbon Steak & Pub will enable us to present that vision to Bay Area residents and visitors 365 days a year.”
Located on the ground floor of Levi’s® Stadium at 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way in Santa Clara, Bourbon Steak & Pub welcomes Bay Area diners seven days a week, year-round, with Bourbon Pub open for lunch and dinner, and Bourbon Steak open for dinner only. Additionally, before the start of each home game, Michael Mina’s Tailgate will kickoff in the tailgate area of the restaurant, a member-only experience for 49ers season ticket holders, inspired by Chef Michael Mina’s elaborate, themed tailgate parties he has thrown with 49ers fans for more than two decades.
Additionally, Chef Michael Mina is pleased to announce the appointment of John Cahill, recently the Chef de Cuisine of Café des Amis in San Francisco, as Executive Chef of Bourbon Steak & Pub. Cahill has a multi-faceted role at Bourbon Steak & Pub, overseeing the whimsical pub-style lunch and dinner menus for Bourbon Pub, and the signature high-end steakhouse menu for Bourbon Steak. “We’re building something that could revolutionize the stadium experience,” explains Cahill of his new role.
For additional details on Bourbon Steak & Pub’s menu and Michael Mina’s Tailgate, visit www.BourbonSteakandPub.com, ‘Like’ BourbonSteakPub on Facebook, and follow @BourbonSteakPub on Twitter and Instagram.
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ABOUT MINA GROUP
Mina Group Inc. 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 22 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 & 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 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
Levi’s® Stadium will be the new home to the San Francisco 49ers, and will also serve as one of the world’s best outdoor sports and entertainment venues. It was designed by HNTB and is being built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. The $1.2 billion venue will have 1.85 million square feet, seat approximately 68,500 and feature 170 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats. It was designed to be a multi-purpose facility with the flexibility to host a wide range of events, including domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and will be expandable for major events such as the Super Bowl. Levi's® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority that was 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.
