Paul Arenstam | Executive Chef

Like many successful chefs, the catalyst for Paul Arenstam’s love affair with food was a particular taste and aroma -- in Paul’s case, in his mother’s kitchen over a batch of brownies. He began to approach cooking seriously during college and has been delighting diners with his creations ever since. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Paul worked at such illustrious restaurants as Fennel in Santa Monica and Patina in Los Angeles. A position at the acclaimed Rubicon restaurant lured him to San Francisco, where he fell in love with the Bay Area’s bounty of fresh, seasonal produce and artisanal sensibility. After opening his own restaurant, Belon, to glowing reviews, Paul went on to become executive chef of the Grand Café, one of San Francisco’s Top Restaurants in 2003. A lifetime Boston Red Sox fan and new father, Arenstam has much to celebrate these days as he develops a new style of modern Italian cuisine infused with the tastes of Northern California at Americano in Hotel Vitale.

Morgan Plant | General Manager

Morgan comes to Joie de Vivre with more than a decade of experience in the restaurant industry. Her background includes posts such as General Manager and Corporate Wine Director of Mistral Restaurant and Avenir Restaurant Group, General Manager of Blue Chalk Café’s flagship property, and Wine Director for Kimpton’s Red Star in Portland, Oregon. Morgan also worked with the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company in both its Seattle and San Francisco locations. A trained sommelier, Morgan will oversee the wine program at Americano, working closely with Chef Paul Arenstam to complement the menu with a stellar selection of California and Italian varietals.