Ninebark Gives a Sneak Peek at Matthew Lightner's Food Ahead of Imminent Opening

Napa doesn’t have to wait much longer for the majorly anticipated Ninebark, a collaboration between restaurant design firm AvroKO and two-Michelin-starred chef Matthew Lightner. Opening day is Tuesday, October 13 for the three-story spot, which will spotlight local ingredients through Lightner’s point of view, Inside Scoop reported. Unlike some of Lightner’s former avant-garde food at Atera in New York City, though, Ninebark’s second-floor, 40-seat dining room will have "really good, approachable food that takes some of my ideas and puts them front and center," Lightner said. That means shareable dishes like grilled avocado salad, rock cod poke, smoked foie gras skewers, aged ribeye and thousand-layer s’more cake.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor will be a bar pouring straightforward drinks like a bottled Paloma. The real alcohol action will go down on floor three, though, with head bartender Andrew Salazar mixing cocktails inspired by the food downstairs and emphasizing Napa’s amazing produce with a lot of fresh juices and fruit essences, as well as beer cocktails with local breweries. Lightner also collaborated on the drinks.

Ninebark’s kitchen will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the bar’s hours will be Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. The restaurant is now taking dinner reservations by email. May the odds be ever in your favor.