‘Locals keep the door open’: 9 questions with chef at Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ in Napa

Part of The Press Democrat’s expanded coverage into Napa County includes interviews with some of the restaurant and dining scene’s biggest names and influencers.

Look for our regular series that casts the spotlight on a different chef or restaurant owner who stands out in the world of food and drink in Napa’s thriving dining industry.

This week we spoke to chef Mark Johnston at Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ, which has a lineup of 400 wines on shelves, 40 available by the glass, and an all-day menu of mouthwatering barbecue dishes like Beer Can Chicken. Johnston joined the team about six years ago when he ran into a friend who recruited him.

We offered nine questions to Johnston. Here’s a sampling of our conversation.

Question: What inspired you to get into cooking?

Answer: I come from a large family of four brothers and three sisters. If you wanted to eat, you either had to learn how to cook or learn how to get to the table first. One of my older sisters showed me how to make scrambled eggs when I was 6 or 7, and from then on I made my own. Cooking has always been a passion, and I’ve always been around kitchens.

Q: Tell me about Bounty Hunter. What’s the atmosphere like? What makes it special?

A: This place is really unique, because we have a prep kitchen a mile away where we do 75% to 85% of our prep. You really have to get your timing right going back and forth to each kitchen. I have to give all my props to the people I work with. We communicate and it works. The restaurant itself is “Old West Americana” in a brick building. We have a very large wine wall, an American flag from the early 1800s, some taxidermy. It’s got a great Old West feel, which really vibes with the barbecue on the menu.

Q: What is the most popular dish on your menu?

A: Our Beer Can Chicken has been our No. 1 staple since Day 1. We serve the whole thing to you with a knife, and you can break it down and take what’s left home. We also do barbecue brisket and pork, and a French dip, which I would put up against anybody’s, anywhere, anytime.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant to visit in your off hours?

A: ZuZu is one of them, with the Spanish-style tapas. It’s a great place to go. And we also love Pizzeria Tra Vigne in St. Helena, which has a great vibe and is really kid-friendly. I would like to see more kid-friendly restaurants in the valley for sure.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

A: I spend every minute I can get with my family. I also enjoy golf. I suck, but I love it because it’s four hours outdoors on green grass.

Q: What’s your current favorite wine to enjoy at home?

A: Caymus-Suisun came out with a blend called The Walking Fool, and it’s a great, all-purpose wine you can enjoy after a meal or with some cheeses and dark chocolate. It’s really good with steak, too.

Q: Tell me about a favorite memorable meal you’ve had.

A: In St. Helena at Goose & Gander. It’s not healthy whatsoever, but they do a burger and you can add certain things. I add bone marrow on there and it’s just one of the juiciest, tastiest burgers out there.

Q: Do you have a farm purveyor you’d like to shout out?

A: My meat guy at Golden Gate Meat Co. Whatever I need, all my crazy questions, he always has the answer and can find me that offbeat thing I’m looking for.

Q: What do you hope to see in the future of Napa’s dining scene?

A: It used to be lights down in downtown Napa at 6 p.m. and no one went there. Now we have hotels, high rises, restaurants, but I would like to see the city of Napa do a bit more for the locals. Tourism makes you money, but locals keep the doors open. They are the heart and soul of what we do.

Dahlia Ghabour is an award-winning food writer with reporting experience in Florida and Kentucky. Contact them at dghabour@gmail.com and on Twitter at @dghabour.