[1] Paul Virant's philosophy of year-round, seasonal eating stems from his childhood growing up outside of St. Louis, Missouri, on a farm.

[2][1] 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.

[4][5][6] 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.

[7] 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.