Dana Point, Calif.

Frequent travelers to Las Vegas likely have become devotees of Michael Mina dining experiences. There are four Mina restaurants in Vegas, two inside the MGM Grand, one at Bellagio, yet another at Mandalay Bay.

As the Mina collection expands so, too, does his client demographic reach beyond conventioneers and gamblers. We recently visited Mina’s Stonehill Tavern, the ultimate dining option inside the elegant St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort. Far from the Vegas neon glow, the property sits majestically above the California coastline between Los Angeles and San Diego.  At Stonehill, not only is the menu, the service and the room well above exceptional, it is a gold mine for wine collectors who travel with bottles from their personal cellars.