Michael Mina’s Tailgate: a VIP tailgate experience
What do you get when you combine a love of the San Francisco 49ers and tailgating with the talents of a James Beard Award winning chef? A one-of-a-kind tailgate experience at Levi’s Stadium for seat holders!
Chef Michael Mina has been a die hard fan of the 49ers for 25+ years and started tailgating with family and friends (including chefs) in the Candlestick Park parking lot. They must have had some killer grub! Once team moved to the new Levi’s Stadium, Chef Mina followed when he was offered the opportunity to open Bourbon Steak, open for dinner on non-game days, and Bourbon Pub, open for lunch and dinner on non-game days serving modern pub grub in a casual environment. For home games, Bourbon Steak and Bourbon Pub become Michael Mina’s Tailgate. Members get access to the tailgate up to four hours prior to game kickoff and can eat and drink to their hearts content while hanging out with family, friends, and fellow 49ers fans.
I had a blast experiencing this unique (and luxurious) tailgate for myself. The menu changes from game to game, which is quite a feat, but you’ll find some typical game day eats like sliders, chicken tenders, cole slaw, mac and cheese, corn dogs, and more. The team had an indoor smoker and rotisserie built to cook up delicious game day meats! As you can tell from the desserts I chose, the team is cranking out seasonal items as well.
This year, Chef Mina brought guest chefs from the opposing team’s hometown to bring some regional influence to the offerings. At the 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals game, the guest chefs included Chef Jeremy McMillan, Director of Culinary at the three-Michelin-star Quince in San Francisco, and Chef Garrick Mendoza along with the resident fish sommeliers of Mina’s Fish House at the Four Seasons in Ko Olina [more on the Mina’s Fish House team in my previous blog post: A Taste of Hawaii]. Chef McMillan served up a delicious citrus-marinated pollo asado for a taste of the southwest and the Mina’s Fish House team featured a shellfish takeover: hamachi with red curry, coconut vinaigrette, dragonfruit, pineapple, mint; smoke marlin dip with taro chips; and ginger poached shrimp.
Also featured at the tailgate is a cocktail by Gold Bar Whiskey, a partner of the San Francisco 49ers, a donut bar and wall, and sushi by the Pabu team, an izakaya-style restaurant in San Francisco by Chef Ken Tominaga in partnership with Chef Mina. If you love Bloody Marys, don’t miss Diane’s Bloody Mary Bar — all ingredients are grown in her garden. If you’re curious about her mixes, you can buy them at Williams-Sonoma, Bev-Mo, and locally in San Francisco.
Needless to say, we had a blast eating our way (or trying to) through the menu. There were so many delicious items and the environment was fun with so many fans around. I have yet to tailgate in the traditional sense, but this one was such a treat and definitely one to remember. You’ll find Chef Mina roaming the spaces and saying hello to members. You can also catch some members of the 49ers Gold Rush Cheerleaders for a photo opportunity. I’m not a Levi’s Stadium seat holder, so I’m hoping the Michael Mina team decides to release a limited number of tailgate tickets for each home game next season. I would certainly pay for a ticket to enjoy the amazing food and atmosphere with fellow fans again!
More information on member benefits and how to become a member here.
