TEAM
PETER MARANTETTE
General Manager & SommelierPart of the Reserve team since day one, Peter joined us in 2010 after returning to his home state from Chicago. While in the Windy City, he worked his way up the ranks within Levy Restaurants, and came on board at Reserve as one of our opening managers. A cork dork at heart, he immersed himself in wine studies, reading and tasting all he could. The work paid off as he quickly earned the Certified Sommelier title from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Peter has grown our wine cellar to its world-class reputation, and in his dual role as GM and Head Sommelier, is integral in the growth and evolution of the restaurant. He and his wife Carmen live in the Breton Village neighborhood of Grand Rapids.
LUKE VERHULST
Executive ChefLuke, a Grand Rapids native, started working in professional kitchens as a teenager and has never looked back. He quickly moved up the culinary ladder, finding his way to Reserve in 2012. Here he is able to hone his craft, focusing on whole animal butchery and charcuterie and is a vibrant supporter of locally grown and responsibly raised product. Luke sees everyday as an opportunity to grow and innovate, both personally and on the plate. He lives on the West Side and when not in the kitchen, loves to get out for a long motorcycle ride.
MEGAN KNAPP
Assistant General ManagerOne of Detroit native Megan Knapp's earliest memories is of playing ``waitress`` with her grandfather, taking his coffee and cookies order as he sat at her tiny café table. That endearing memory led her to a career in hospitality, working over the years in kitchens, and as a host, server, bartender and manager. At Reserve, Knapp's goal is to continue to further her and her colleagues' education, continuing to learn, teach and grow. She finds the common ground of sharing an exquisite meal paired with a great wine one of her favorite things to do and when not at Reserve, Knapp can be found studying for her sommelier exam, perhaps drinking a glass of Champagne while doing so. She and her family live in the East Hills neighborhood.
PATRICK JOBST
Beverage Manager & SommelierPatrick Jobst discovered his love of wine while studying Ancient Greek and Roman History at Eastern Michigan University. Deciding against a life in academia, Patrick wandered into the world of wine and restaurants. Enamored by the many facets of the world of wine, he dropped out of school in order to pursue a career as a sommelier. He cut his teeth in the Detroit wine scene at the storied Bacco Ristorante, but found his way to Grand Rapids in pursuit of a girl. Now married to that girl, ( after being engaged in a vineyard of course!) Patrick has turned his professional eye toward the notoriously difficult Master Sommelier Examination. His philosophy on wine and food is that they are things to be enjoyed in the company of other people, and without hospitality, they becomes stuffy and elitist. Outside of wine, Patrick enjoys Liverpool FC, cooking, coffee, and travel.
MIRIAM GEENEN
Sous ChefBorn in Ann Arbor, Miriam Geenen learned from the best – Mom. Her mother had worked in a bakery and passed on her love of breadmaking to her daughter. After moving around a bit, Geenen settled in Nashville post-college, working in a restaurant where she was lucky enough to have a mentor who guided her onto a new career path. She relished the creativity she found in the kitchen, and after returning home to Michigan began working at area favorites Trillium as sous chef, and Louise Earl Butcher, where she created the monthly Butcher Dinners. In 2018, she joined the Reserve team, and just like she remembers the smell of baking bread in her childhood home, she hopes to elicit similar warm memories with her guests. With a style that is modern yet simple, she favors interpretations of dishes that have been passed down over generations and is heavily rooted in the traditions of the South. When not in the kitchen, Geenen loves to get out in nature and lives in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids.
