A lot of emotions hit me when I think about chefs following their dreams and opening their first restaurant on the same street where I opened a restaurant many years ago – especially a chef as talented as Chef David Kneller.
Years ago, I owned a(MUSE.) on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. That part of Rehoboth has always carried a certain energy for me – cooks stepping outside after service late at night, the sound of dishes clanging in the kitchen, guests dressed up for dinner walking from restaurant to restaurant and the smell of the ocean drifting through the alleyways.
Baltimore Avenue has always felt like one of Rehoboth Beach’s culinary centers.
Now another chef is adding his story to that street.
Chef David Kneller recently opened 59 Market inside the former Mark Showell building next to Aqua Grill, transforming the longtime space into a beautiful market and soon-to-open restaurant.
When I stepped into the space recently to sit down with him, I noticed how much care had gone into every small detail. The room feels warm and intentional, with curated shelves, beautiful lighting, pastries and breads being prepared in-house and cooks moving with purpose behind the counter.
David and I first met years ago when he staged at a(MUSE.). He reminded me a lot of myself at that age – hungry, thirsty for knowledge and full of passion. The kind of young cook who wants to soak up everything happening around them: every technique, every ingredient and every movement in the kitchen.
You could feel that energy coming off him immediately.
During our conversation, he told me he started cooking at just 12 years old at a pizza shop in Denton, Maryland. One night, everyone called off, and he watched the chef work the kitchen alone.
He just knew.
He was amazed by the chef’s speed working alone, by how happy guests were with the food and by the beauty of the plates coming out of the kitchen.
That feeling is hard to explain to people outside the restaurant industry. Some people get jobs in kitchens because they need work. Others walk into kitchens and instantly realize they’ve found something they want to dedicate their life to.
The conversation drifted to his earliest food memories – the beautiful, lush gardens that surrounded him growing up on the Eastern Shore and the time he spent in nature hunting and fishing.
He shared how helping to grow food as a kid connected him to the land and gave him a deep respect for fresh ingredients.
Even though he grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, he was fascinated with food cultures from around the globe. He explored every cuisine and culinary tradition he could, soaking them all up before eventually starting to work in mom-and-pop pizza shops and restaurants around him.
Each experience taught him something, shaped his cooking and fueled his ongoing thirst to learn.
When he eventually staged at a(MUSE.), he was working at a bar-and-grill-style restaurant, and he described the experience as eye-opening. He suddenly saw food pushing boundaries through technique, ingredients and creativity in ways he had never experienced before.
That stage propelled him toward more ambitious kitchens and ultimately led him to Grace in Chicago, the Michelin-starred restaurant under acclaimed Chef Curtis Duffy.
David shared how working in that kitchen taught him patience and precision. In a Michelin-starred kitchen of that caliber, changing the menu only a handful of times throughout the year allowed the team to deeply understand every ingredient and exactly how each dish functioned on the menu.
He also spoke about the calmness Curtis Duffy brought to the kitchen – something that stood in stark contrast to more chaotic kitchens he had previously worked in, where chefs yelled constantly and accuracy was often lacking.
That leadership style stayed with him.
He emphasized speed, efficiency and precision without waste, but also spoke about leading by example and treating staff with respect – almost like family. Each day at 59 Market, the team sits down together for a family meal.
Our discussion shifted toward the years he spent leading kitchens and opening restaurants for Bluepoint Hospitality. While working there, and while one of their chefs had just received the James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, he was simultaneously crafting his own dream project in his mind.
He realized it was now his turn to create something of his own.
The next step was finding the right space.
When he saw the building on Baltimore Avenue – one he had admired for quite some time – he knew it was the perfect place to bring his vision to life.
The original concept for 59 Market was inspired in part by Talula’s in Pennsylvania. Still, David wanted to adapt that market and restaurant style into something uniquely his own and a welcome addition to the many established restaurants and markets already in our coastal community.
The market side of the business allows guests to find curated ingredients and specialty items they might not find elsewhere locally, along with ready-to-eat meals, pastries, breads and sandwiches.
We moved on to discuss some of his favorite current offerings.
One of the biggest standouts is their brown butter chocolate-chunk cookie – a recipe that went through 34 versions before they landed on the final product.
We also discussed the turkey BLT sandwich, where nearly everything is made in-house, from the bread and mayonnaise to the tomato spread, except the hydroponic lettuce sourced locally from Bittersweet Hydroponics.
We continued talking about a dish that was especially meaningful to him – the Cusio meatballs, inspired by his late friend and sous chef.
Cusio first cooked the dish for him years ago, and it immediately stood out. David said he had never tasted meatballs quite like them before.
Today, they remain on the menu as a dish that lets you feel the love. He still feels Cusio’s presence in them, and they’ll remain on the menu because they’re simply that good.
As we talked more about his cooking style, David reflected on a dish he experienced while working under Curtis Duffy – a short rib preparation layered with Southeast Asian flavors and techniques. Although he had helped prepare elements of the dish many times, sitting down and tasting the completed dish in its entirety deeply impacted him.
It taught him how powerful food can become when familiar ingredients are elevated with global influences and technique.
That philosophy continues to define much of his cooking today.
He loves creating dishes grounded in flavors and comforts people already know and love while introducing refined twists and influences from cuisines around the world.
One ingredient he is currently obsessed with is foie gras, the liver of fattened ducks and a popular ingredient in modern American and French cuisine.
He described using foie gras in unexpected ways, including replacing whipped cream with foie gras mousse in a strawberry pretzel salad, balancing sweet, salty and savory flavors in one dish.
We also discussed how emotional it has been for him to watch people experience the space for the first time.
Seeing customers walk into the market, stop in their tracks and admire the design almost brings tears of happiness to his eyes.
Next, we discussed a local partner he’s especially excited about – a young coffee roaster from Bert’s Beans.
David admired the roaster’s attention to detail, sourcing and flavor, values that closely mirror his own philosophy surrounding ingredients and cooking. As someone deeply passionate about coffee himself, he’s excited to serve coffee and offer bags for customers to take home.
We also spoke about the role the market is already beginning to play in the community.
It has quickly become a daily stop-in and gathering point for locals, many of whom love to walk past the large windows and watch chefs prepare food inside. Even late at night, people often stop, wave and smile through the glass.
The restaurant side of the project will begin slowly, opening initially on weekends before gradually expanding into additional meal periods.
David explained that they want to roll things out carefully, making sure execution is exactly where they want it before expanding further.
Our discussion shifted toward his leadership approach and the culture he hopes to cultivate.
He places tremendous emphasis on building a family-like environment where work-life balance matters and everyone truly has a seat at the table.
We also spoke honestly about the challenges of opening a restaurant in Rehoboth Beach.
David mentioned that the permitting process in Rehoboth can feel difficult at times, if not nearly impossible – something I personally understood from my own experience opening a(MUSE.), where we faced many similar struggles.
He shared that one of the biggest lessons throughout the entire process has been patience. There were moments where he wanted to rush things, but he understood that doing things the right way – even if it takes longer – is essential.
Doing things correctly is something he strongly believes in.
We also discussed how Delaware’s food scene is always evolving, ebbing and flowing over the years. David expressed excitement about seeing more chefs reconnect with local farmers and showcase Delaware’s beautiful ingredients.
He specifically highlighted oysters, noting how Delaware’s oyster programs are producing oysters capable of competing with any in the world.
As our conversation wound down, we spoke about what success means to him now.
He explained that while financial success obviously matters – because restaurants are still businesses – true success comes from being able to cook food they’re passionate about while making the community happy.
Cooking professionally can be difficult, exhausting and time-intensive, but doing it surrounded by a team that feels like friends and family makes it all worthwhile.
More than anything, he hopes people leave 59 Market feeling happy, comfortable and satisfied – and that the space belongs to the community as much as it does to him.
And standing there on Baltimore Avenue again, watching another chef chase his dream on the same street where I once chased mine, felt strangely full circle.
