• Plum gets a new executive chef in Incanto vet Manfred Wrembel

    Inside Scoop SF October 29, 2012Paolo Lucchesi

    Starting today, Manfred Wrembel is running the kitchen as the new executive chef of Plum and adjacent Plum Bar. For the last six-plus years, Wrembel has been cooking at Incanto, most recently as Chris Cosentino’s chef de cuisine and right-hand man.Daniel Patterson opened Plum a little over two years ago in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood. Now he’s got a new chef.

    “He matured a lot at Incanto. He’s ready to run his place,” says Patterson of his new chef.

    There will also be changes surrounding the menu format at Plum. The new menu — in effect tonight — will switch to a more traditional format, with appetizers, entrees and desserts. Plum Bar will keep the course (and open for lunch in December).

    “We changed the format a little bit,” says Patterson of Plum, noting that some diners had a hard time deciphering the menu, and this was an opportune time to switch things up.

    “This is a change driven by Manfred. He’s a really good guy, extremely talented and we’re super excited to have him.”

    “Plum is meant to be a neighborhood restaurant. Simple but not simplistic; recognizable but still with moments of interest. Delicious and interesting — but still accessible food. That was the note that Manfred hit that I really liked.”

     

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