It was a technique, and two-time James Beard Award winner Michael Mina said he made the bourbon steak stand out when its first location opened in Scottsdale, Arizona nearly 20 years ago.
And it’s fun too.
At the time, Mina was mostly known for her two Michelin starred venues at the time, Aqua, on the West Coast. Mina wanted to crush the form a bit.
And instead of a stable steakhouse like a bread basket, he debuted a trio of fat-fried ducks. The customer said, “We received a crisp, free welcome in three different flavors of three different fries with three different sauces.
Guests at the new 10th place of Bourbon Steak, which is set to open Walt Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin Midsummer, will be greeted in the same flavorful way.
“That’s something people found in bourbon steaks from the start. We always hoped we had a bit of fun.”
Swan and Iruka say that Mina, who has been cooking in Vegas for nearly 30 years, is an ideal place for bourbon steaks for several similar reasons.
“People thought I had lost my heart when I said I was going to Vegas, but even for just a month I knew I like cooking there because people go there to have a good time.”
It’s similar here in Orlando. Disney’s presence allows for a little more talent when it comes to tableside presentations. Special salt-grilled bourbon at other venues, like a tomahawk on a bourbon, will probably be a fixture on the swan dolphin menu.
“When it comes out, everything is on fire,” explains Mina.
The same can be said for lobster pot pie, which is served in large copper containers. The server disassembles it in front of the guest. This allows for gorgeous photo and video ops and smashing plating presentations.
“It’s true, here are some tricks on the sleeves.”
At least that includes years of practice from the bourbon team butter poaching cuts at low temperatures before finishing high heat.
“At the time we were playing with all these different ways to cook meat. It was literally a few months in the test kitchen,” he pointed out. “We shouldn’t go past 128 degrees, so it doesn’t release the juice and stays rarely. Then we bake it on a 1,100-degree wood burning grill.”
Mina calls it the “aha moment.”
“It helped us create a very consistent product that was very soft and has little reduction, with flavor infused with less flavor,” he explains. “We were able to cook steaks in a different way than we cooked in our lives.”
Technology, he says, allowed processes to evolve and improve over time, but the technology is essentially the same. And it was a recipe for success.
Of course, seafood still plays a role, and Orlando Bourbon’s location boasts something else that they have.
Desserts such as custard-soaked benignet, brulede basque cheesecake and rich chocolate peanut butter cake (Mina’s personal favorite) provide a sweet ending if guests can save the room.
Best Steakhouse: 2025 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Award
Mina looks forward to the experience, earning her fortune for at least three months, and keeping things on track following the July opening planned by Bourbon.
“Like Vegas, Orlando is a place where people enjoy themselves. And there’s nothing more fun as chefs than guests there to have a good time. They’re there on vacation…and we’ll add another layer to it.
Find me on Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram @Amydroo, or Osfoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more food fun, join Let’s Eat and Orlando Facebook Group.
