The term celebrity chef fits Michael Mina as well as his chef’s coat does. Now that he has opened Acqua Bistecca in Bonita Springs, Southwest Florida is getting a taste of what earned him that title. The Michelin-starred and James Beard-awarded chef, founder, and executive chairman of MINA Group opened the waterfront restaurant in late January next door to The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay. His first project in the area specializes in three favorites—seafood, pasta, and steak. It is one of 30-plus concepts he operates in myriad locations, including Las Vegas, Washington, Miami, and San Francisco.
The setting provides a prime sunset view that complements Italian-influenced dishes featuring locally caught seafood and local produce. Steaks range from an 8-ounce Angus filet to a 40-ounce Fiorentina porterhouse, all brushed with red Lambrusco butter. Fresh fish is grilled or roasted and served atop a bed of saffron-orange braised fregola. “This concept is near and dear to my heart,” Mina says. “Aqua was where I got my start, and then there was Bourbon Steak. I felt this concept—seafood, steak, and pasta—is where I would eat every day of the week because you can eat in so many ways.”
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