Stateline Road Smokehouse co-owner Jeremy Threat is visiting Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell today. This is his first time on the show.

During the show, author Marty Nachel called in to talk about his new book. That portion of the live radio show with Marty Nachel is on this separate podcast episode, so that both guests can have their own separately indexed episode page.

Darryl Bell, the chef at Stateline Road Smokehouse, comes from Kansas City. He is also Jeremy’s business partner. After college Jeremy worked in operations management in the restaurant industry. So he went from hotel restaurants to a management position. Working for Thomas Keller, the owner of French Laundry was demanding. In previous restaurant jobs, he learned about the business side of the restaurant business. But at French Laundry, he learned how to create a company culture that fostered excellence. Keller was always pushing to improve, along the lines of the Japanese concept of kaizen. How do you do the same thing time after time, while making it consistently as good as it can be? That is the question.

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The Stateline Road Smokehouse is located in a 4000-square foot quonset hut that was a former auto body shop. He and his partner started out to do something unpretentious. In Napa that would make them stand out among all the white linen tablecloths. They are striving for what Daedalus calls an excellent experience without being “elevated” in style or pretense. What Darryl brings is Kansas City barbeque with the perspective of also having trained in France. The Ranch Gordo Greens and Beans salad is an example.

There is an old ceramic sink near the front door, full of ice and cans of a wide selection of beers. When people order cole slaw or potato salad, they realize that they take as much care with the sides as they do with the meats. Some recipes take the effort of several people and up to 17 hours to produce.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Kansas City is often called “wet” barbeque. Texans have a dryer approach to brisket, it is dryer and they cut it thicker. Darryl’s barbeque is a combination of influences, not exactly like one or another of the canonical styles. The butcher greets guests at the door. He is like a tour guide. “We are not just barbeque.” They also have a different secret fish recipe on the menu, every day.

Herlinda thinks of cider as a great beverage for barbeque. Currently they have Shilling Imperial Apple on tap. In the summer they offer different choices. They are lucky that they got a liquor license without too much trouble and expense. The cocktail list includes one called “Hey You Guys” with a paper umbrella. The first boozie slushie tasted like a real creamsicle. He makes one called The Dude Abides which is a White Russian, inspired by The Big Lebowski.

Stateline Road Smokehouse serves Hanabi Lager beer, which is also located in Napa. For wine, they wanted to focus on one varietal and do it as well as possible. So they have chosen to serve a Centium Sauvignon Blanc. He has it for $15 a glass, not the $25 or more that others will charge. He wanted to have a choice like this at a good price. For example, he has Rombauer Chardonnay for $10 a glass, instead of at least $18. When you get something excellent at a price that is low, his guests feel satisfied with the meal and also with the cost. This exceeds their expectations, which is Jeremy’s goal.