Early Bourbon Steak Thoughts, Chiarello Tours Eataly, More!

UNION SQUARE - First thoughts on Michael Mina's new Bourbon Steak trickle in from Jessica Battilana of 7x7. Pullquote: "When I ask—first the GM, then the chef, then the publicist—whether any of the beef is grass-fed, grass-finished, I learn only that the Angus that comprises most of the steak offerings comes from a Midwest Ranch, and that 'while the restaurant tries to source grass-fed meat, it isn't always available.' Also: "...for a restaurant that bills its menu as 'contemporary fare focused on seasonal West Coast ingredients,' it reads an awful lot like any other steak house—which makes sense, since Bourbon Steak is now very much a national chain." [7x7]

CHIARELLO-BATALI LOVEFEST Napa entrepreneur, cookbook author and man-about-The Food Network Michael Chiarello files his take on Mario Batali's new Eataly in New York, calling it "Studio 54, but in a supermarket, at night." Check out his picks and tour of the monster mart here. [Daily Meal]

THE MISSION - There's a new mural going up next to The Sycamore on Mission Street. And remember: "holy crap these guys have good food." [Uptown Almanac]

THE MISSION EXTRA- Gracias Madre's pastry chef dishes on San Francisco's first and only vegan flan: "It was a challenge, but I like challenging myself." [SFoodie]

WINE COUNTRY - Sister site Curbed has some winery eye candy over here. Faustino Group's newest winery Bodegas Portias just opened its marvelous million-bottle-a-year facility in the Ribera del Duero region about 100 miles north of Madrid, Spain. Don't miss the fancicul-yet-totally-real pics. [Curbed]

Bourbon Steak on Union Square. [Photo: ISSF/Natalie Knight]