Duncan Mitchell opened Chapel Tavern in 2007 and 40 Mile Saloon in 2012 (which he’s both sold); in 2022, Chapel was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program. He also owned and operated the late, great Shawarmageddon and Von Bismarck. In October 2025, Mitchell bought Ryan’s Saloon, a bar that first opened its doors in 1974, with a simple goal: to preserve and respect its history while updating the food, drink and atmosphere for the modern era.
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten locally in the last month?
Considering it’s the middle of summer, I haven’t really been going out to eat all that much, but my wife and I met for a killer lunch at Buoy and Trap up in Truckee. We had a couple dozen oysters, the smoked trout dip and a bottle of Pepiere Muscadet. Good, fresh oysters on a beautiful day, paired with one of the best seafood wines ever, with my favorite person ever, is pretty hard to beat…