‘For the locals’: 9 questions with Todd Humphries of Napa’s Kitchen Door

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 Todd Humphries, co-owner and head chef of Kitchen Door in Napa. The restaurant started in 2011 in Oxbow Public Market and moved to First Street in June 2022.

Humphries previously opened his enormously popular Michelin-starred Martini House Restaurant in St. Helena in 2001, which ran for nine years.

We offered Humphries nine questions. Here is a sample of our conversation:

Question: What inspired you to get into cooking?

Answer: I always loved food, and my mom and grandmother cooked a lot from the garden. Later I worked at a friend’s sister’s restaurant as a prep guy. I also worked at this place called Mica’s Kitchen, and this guy gave me cookbooks when I took over his position: “La Methode” and “La Technique” by Jacques Pepin. I cooked everything out of those books at my home and loved it.

Q: How would you describe the atmosphere of Kitchen Door?

A: Kitchen Door came out of the family meal we used to do in the cellar at Martini House, making ramen, Korean ribs and all sorts of things. The menu has dishes from around the world, and everybody’s welcome. We have a wood-burning pizza oven, a rotisserie for roast chickens. We created Kitchen Door for the locals, and the pricing is very affordable.

Q: What’s the most popular thing on the menu?

A: Our cream of mushroom soup has been on the menu ever since we opened, even at Martini House. And our Korean short ribs and duck banh mi are very popular. Right now we have a coconut curry ramen on the menu with Thai-glazed shrimp that’s popular when it’s cold out.

Q: How would you describe your culinary style?

A: I’ve always had an Asian influence on my food. Of course I use French techniques, but with cooking cuisines from around the world we take those techniques and apply them to other cuisines, even Mexican dishes. I focus on good flavors, balanced acidity. Presentations here aren’t super finicky.

Q: Do you have your own farm or a favorite purveyor you work with?

A: I go to the Napa Farmers Market every Saturday for all kinds of things: chiles, tomatoes, lots of greens and herbs. We also get things from Tenbrink Farms.

Q: What is your favorite wine to enjoy at home?

A: Sauvignon blanc is one of my favorites to drink; it’s kind of like my beer. I really love Negronis . I’ve experimented with white Negronis and different gins. It’s kind of endless.

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

A: I really like Zuzu and La Taberna. Also Torc; (chef) Sean (O’Toole) is a good friend of mine. Yak and Yeti is another cool little place; we dine there sometimes.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you're not cooking?

A: I play the guitar a lot; when I was younger I had a band. And mushroom hunting is always something I’ve done over the years. When I came to California I started buying from Connie Green at Wine Forest Wild Foods. She taught me a lot about mushrooms.

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

A: Some other Asian style foods would be great in town. I’d like to see a really great Indian restaurant open here. I miss it from living in Manhattan. That would be amazing.

Dahlia Ghabour is an award-winning food writer. Contact Ghabour at dghabour@gmail.com and on Twitter at @dghabour.