Chef Darryl Bell of Stateline Road Smokehouse, one of Wine Country’s most anticipated restaurant openings, will begin a chef residency at Napa’s Oxbow Public Market in late October.
The Kansas City native plans to take over the Oxbow space of Milestone Provisions (which will be closing) and serve a sampling of his forthcoming restaurant menu. Highlights will include Burnt Ends ($18); Stateline baby back ribs ($12); and a salad made with cherrywood-smoked Maitake mushrooms, lettuce, crisped purple rice, marinated chickpeas and lemon vinaigrette ($15). Bell’s permanent restaurant is slated for an early 2024 opening in Napa’s Rail Arts District.
Bell first gained attention for the barbecue sauces he created for staff meals while he worked at Bouchon restaurant in Yountville. Chef Thomas Keller was such a fan he asked Bell to scale up the recipe so he could serve it on his Seabourn luxury cruise ship menus.
Oxbow Market has long been a hotbed for culinary exploration, with restaurant outposts from Hog Island Oyster Co. and Gott’s Roadside to C Casa and Loveski Deli from former Restaurant at Meadowood chef Christopher Kostow. Oxbow Market is at 610 First St., Napa, oxbowpublicmarket.com