Paul Virant

Paul Virant's philosophy of year-round, seasonal eating stems from his childhood growing up outside of St. Louis, Missouri, on a farm. Family trips to the farmers markets, gardening, cooking and preserving were a significant part of his family's activities. These experiences helped him develop his reverence for local ingredients, an appreciation towards gastronomy and the time-honored practice of canning and preserving.{{Cite web |last=Fauchald |first=Nick |date=July 2008 |title=Independence Day on the Farm |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/articles/independence-day-on-the-farm |url-status=dead |access-date=March 12, 2013 |website=Food & Wine |archive-date=May 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504093159/http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/independence-day-on-the-farm }}

After graduating with a degree in nutrition from West Virginia Wesleyan College, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. Following culinary school, he went on to further refine his skills at March in New York City where he worked with chefs Wayne Nish and Hilary Gregg. After two years, chef Virant moved to Chicago where he worked at such restaurants as Charlie Trotter’s, Ambria, Everest and Blackbird.{{Cite web |title=Best New Chefs |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/best_new_chefs/paul-virant |access-date=March 6, 2013 |website=Food & Wine}}

In 2004, he opened Vie in a suburb of Chicago.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vierestaurant.com/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150812193539/http://www.vierestaurant.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 12, 2015|title=Vie Restaurant | Fine Dining in Western Springs by Paul Virant|website=Vie Restaurant | Fine Dining in Western Springs by Paul Virant}}{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2013 |title=5 Questions: Paul Virant |url=https://andrewzimmern.com/5-questions-paul-virant/ |access-date=March 7, 2013 |website=Andrew Zimmern}}{{Cite web |last=Todd |first=Anthony |date=2019-08-13 |title=Vie Celebrates 15 Years of Farm-to-Table Dining |url=https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2019/Vie-Celebrates-15-Years-of-Farm-to-Table-Dining/ |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=Chicago Magazine |language=en-US}} With a focus on house-made pickles and preserves, chef Virant's contemporary American cuisine at Vie has garnered regional and national attention, including a three-star review by Phil Vettel of the Chicago Tribune and a Michelin Star. In 2011, he became partner and executive chef of Boka Restaurant Group's Perennial Virant (now closed) and helped open The J. Parker, the rooftop lounge and bar located at Hotel Lincoln in Chicago, the following year.Vettel, Phil. "[http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/ct-dining-0621-outdoor-dining-20120621,0,4741586.column?page=2 Go Alfresco]." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 7, 2013. Virant opened Vistro in Hinsdale, Illinois,{{Cite web|url=https://vistrorestaurant.com/|title=Vistro Restaurant | Downtown Hinsdale|website=Vistro Restaurant | Downtown Hinsdale}} in 2014. Vistro focuses on approachable, seasonal food and drinks, and serves as a staple in the community for friends and families.{{Cite web|url=http://www.paulvirant.com/about/|title=About|website=PAUL VIRANT|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-19}}

In 2017, Virant launched Jar Sessions,{{Cite web|url=https://www.jarsessions.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710211750/https://www.jarsessions.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 10, 2017|title=Jar Sessions | By Paul Virant|website=Jar Sessions | By Paul Virant}} a locally produced, small-batch line of pickled and preserved products. He collaborated with Midwest farmers to create the Jar Sessions collection of farm-to-fork products.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jarsessions.com/jar-session-story/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020034044/https://www.jarsessions.com/jar-session-story/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 20, 2017|title=OUR STORY|website=Jar Sessions {{!}} By Paul Virant|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-19}}

In 2019, Virant opened Gaijin in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, which focuses on Japanese okonomiyaki.{{Cite web |last=Selvam |first=Ashok |date=2019-11-11 |title=Chicago's First Restaurant Dedicated to Japanese Okonomiyaki Opens in West Loop |url=https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/11/20959582/gaijin-west-loop-okonomiyaki-restaurant-open-paul-virant-japanese |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Eater Chicago |language=en}}

Virant is an avid supporter of local, family farms and frequents the Green City Market,“[http://www.greencitymarket.org/chefs/chefdetail.asp?id=47 Paul Virant, Executive Chef]”. Green City Market. Retrieved March 12, 2013. Chicago's outdoor farmers market providing local, sustainably grown food with a mission to connect farmers and local producers directly with chefs and the community.“[http://www.greencitymarket.org/about/ Mission and Background]”. Green City Market. Retrieved March 12, 2013. He also serves on SAVEUR's chef advisory board as a SAVEUR Tastemaker™."[http://www.saveur.com/tastemakers/ SAVEUR Tastemakers]". SAVEUR.com. Retrieved March 7, 2013.

Paul Virant competed in season seven of Iron Chef America against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Virant lost to Morimoto with a final score of 51–50. The secret ingredient was pheasant.

The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking with Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-doux by Paul Virant with Kate Leahy. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.{{Cite book |last1=Virant |first1=Paul |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/211207/the-preservation-kitchen-by-paul-virant-with-kate-leahy/ |title=The Preservation Kitchen |last2=Leahy |first2=Kate |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=978-1607741008 |publication-date=April 3, 2012 |language=en-US}}

• Michelin Star{{Cite web |last= |date=2011-11-15 |title=Michelin Stars Shine on Chicago for 2012 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michelin-stars-shine-on-chicago-for-2012-133912583.html |access-date=2013-03-07 |website=PR Newswire |language=en-US}}
• 2013 Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S."[http://andrewzimmern.com/2013/01/30/5-questions-paul-virant/ 5 Questions: Paul Virant]". Andrew Zimmern.com. Jan. 30, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
• 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards Finalist, Best Chef: Great Lakes"[http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/static/additional/2013-jbf-nominees.pdf 2013 JBF Award Nominees]". Jamesbeard.org. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
• 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards Semifinalist, Best Chef: Great Lakes"[http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/static/additional/2013-jbf-semifinalists.pdf 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists]". Jamesbeard.org. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
• 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee, Best Chef: Great Lakes"[http://www.jamesbeard.org/sites/default/files/pressreleases/2011_JBF_Awards_Nominations.pdf 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees Announced]". Jamesbeard.org. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
• 2007 Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence; Top Celebrity Chef
• 2007 Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chefs
• 2006 Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence; Rising Star Chef
• 2005 Chicago Magazine Best New Chef
• 2005 Restaurant Hospitality Rising Star Chef
• 2005 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef"[http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2005/chicago/html/bio_p_virant.shtml Rising Stars]". StarChefs.com. Nov. 2005. Retrieved March 7, 2013.

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Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:American chefs

Category:Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park alumni

Category:Chaminade College Preparatory School (Missouri) alumni