Ox's Greg Denton Shares SuperBite Specifics on Right at the Fork: Menu, Service, and Projected Opening

Taking over the former Gruner restaurant space, SuperBite is the highly anticipated follow up to Ox, the internationally lauded restaurant by 2016 James Beard Best Chef Northwest finalists, Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton. Speaking on the Right at the Fork podcast, Greg Denton shared details on the rather holistic business model, when it will open, and most importantly, what you'll be able to eat. Here's a recap:

The Projected Opening: Mid-April

A "Superbite" Explained: A meal at SuperBite will begin with small dishes with big flavors—sort of along the lines of amuse-bouche (but really, you can call them "super bites"). "It gives us a lot of creativity as chefs to do these highly flavored, fun combinations that get people excited," Denton says.

Denton cites studies that showed people lose interest in foods—even their favorite foods—after several bites. With SuperBite, Denton hopes to extend that initial experience through creative, bold small dishes.

Because you can't live the dream every day, the menu will also feature a "Platters" section with plates for sharing, and Denton offers a few possibilities: a "whole fish," "porchetta," and "forty-five-ounce rib eye."

Service Model: At SuperBite, the cooks will be allowed some creative freedom in terms of developing dishes—so it won't just be the Denton's creating the menus—and they'll also deliver your food. "We want the cooks to have a lot more input than they have at Ox," says Denton. "We want them to be inspired by something; learn how to order it; to receive the product; prep the product; cook the product; and serve the product. So we're going to have a larger amount of people in the kitchen, and we're going to have teams."

Denton says the cooks at Superbite will be paid more, and he hopes they'll be more invested in the food, the restaurant, and their diners. "Watching somebody's eyes roll in the back of their head, or seeing someone mouth, 'Oh my god, this is so good'— That is what drives you," says Denton. "It's not money; it's not fame. It's that. That's what motivates me to be a better chef everyday."

Find many more insights in the full podcast here, where Denton discusses why Castagna's Justin Woodward should win Best Chef Northwest over him and his wife Gabrielle; how he and Gabrielle met; why he hired Imperial's Doug Adams (Eater Portland Chef of the Year 2015) back in the day; and more (like his favorite restaurants).