Café Vivant and Somm Cellars Menlo Park make their debut today

Café Vivant and Somm Cellars Menlo Park, two complementary concepts redefining the relationship between regenerative farming, dining, and wine opened on Santa Cruz Avenue today, bringing together Executive Chef Jared Wentworth alongside New York sommeliers and co-founders Jason Jacobeit and Daniel Jung.

Café Vivant’s mission is to reclaim the lost flavor and quality of Heritage breed chicken. Because sourcing true Heritage birds is nearly impossible at scale in the U.S., the team established its own 80-acre regenerative farm in Pescadero, where they raise several Heritage animals including chickens, guinea hens, rabbits, pigs, and sheep alongside heirloom produce. While the farm forms the backbone of Café Vivant’s supply, the team also works with a select group of neighboring coastal farms.

Jacobeit and Jung have curated a 3,000-bottle cellar featuring over 700 pre-2020 California vintages, some dating back to the 1930s, all in pristine condition. The list balances historic verticals and global benchmarks while spotlighting the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, for which Café Vivant now holds the world’s most comprehensive collection.