Chicken nuggets are one of the menu signatures at Café Vivant, which opened in Menlo Park, California in October.
That’s not a big surprise, since chicken nuggets, fingers and tenders are one of the most popular foods in the U.S., appearing in over 20% of restaurants in Technomic’s Ignite Menu database.
But these are no ordinary nuggets. They are made with Heritage breed chicken thighs finished with golden Kaluga caviar and dill crème fraiche —developed by Jared Wentworth, executive chef of Café Vivant. And the chickens are raised on a regenerative farm in nearby Pescadaro, California.
“For me, Heritage chicken represents the same terroir-driven integrity we already prize in great wine or heirloom produce,” said Wentworth. “In the U.S., we’ve spent decades optimizing poultry for efficiency rather than flavor, and as a result, most cooks—even professionals—haven’t had the chance to work with birds that actually express true genetics, complexity and character. Heritage breeds grow slowly, develop real musculature and carry an inherent depth of flavor that you simply cannot engineer. As a chef, that’s incredibly inspiring.”
Wentworth built his culinary reputation at Chicago restaurants Longman & Eagle, Balena, Vivere and Moody Tongue brewery, which collectively earned several Michelin stars. He moved to California on a mission to revive the complex flavor of Heritage breed chicken and spotlight the pasture-raised birds on the menu.
Heritage breed chickens are raised on a regenerative farm in Pescadero, California.
Together with Café Vivant's co-founders, award-winning sommeliers Daniel Jung and Jason Jacobeit of New York City’s Tribeca Grill & Batârd, the team set out to develop a restaurant based on what they call “regenerative hospitality,” incorporating responsible farming and ecological stewardship. Kitchen scraps nourish the soil, livestock sustain biodiversity and Heritage breed flavor powers the menu.
To ensure a steady supply of the slower-growing, more flavorful birds, the team partnered with farmer Rob James, who operates an 80-acre regenerative farm in Pescadero. Here they raise several Heritage animals including chickens, guinea hens, rabbits, pigs and sheep and grow heirloom produce.
“It’s not just better chicken; it’s a fundamentally different product that cooks, eats and behaves differently in the kitchen,” said Wentworth. “At Café Vivant, we finally get to treat chicken with the same reverence typically reserved for Wagyu or bluefin tuna—and showcase how remarkable it can be when you start with the right bird.”
Roast chickens are listed on the menu according to breed.
The Whole Chicken for 2 has its own special menu section and offers three heritage breed choices—Pescadero Black, Heritage Delaware and Heritage New Hampshire—all served with foraged mushrooms, roasted farm vegetables and lemon thyme jus. Each chicken is listed on the menu with the name of the breed and the length of time the bird was raised.
While the menu boasts a serious pedigree, Wentworth and his partner, chef de cuisine Emily Philips, inject some fun into it. Along with the nuggets there’s a Heritage Chicken Ice Cream Sundae with vanilla bean ice cream studded with triple-fried chicken skin crumbles.
The dessert menu includes a sundae with crispy chicken skin crumbles.
At the chef-driven restaurant, prices are on the higher end; appetizers run from $15-$38 (those chicken nuggets are the priciest), with entrees in the $30s and $40s and whole roasted Heritage chickens for two from $48 to $64.
Café Vivant’s cocktail and mocktail menu complements the food selection with its use of foraged farm ingredients. The Bon Vivant, for example, is a low-proof blend of bay laurel-infused shochu, dry vermouth, oleo saccharum and local sea salt, while Heritage No. 2 combines amontillado, dry vermouth, persimmon and sarsaparilla bitters.
Café Vivant also houses a 3,000 bottle wine cellar curated by Jacobeit and Jung. The duo also brought their New York-based retail shop Somm Cellars to Menlo Park, opening next door to the restaurant. Along with wines, the shop offers an onsite market where customers can purchase the Heritage chickens, fresh eggs, local cheeses and produce and chef-driven plates featuring charcuterie, terrines and other specialties. A rotating “farm residency” highlights regional producers.
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