Meet the owners
CHEF / OWNER / OPERATOR
Chef Joel Gargano, a Connecticut native and son of Italian bakers, began learning the trade in his parents' bakery at a young age with his father.
It didn’t take long for him to discover the gratification from cooking. As graduate of Johnson and Wales, finishing with a Masters Degree in Culinary Education, the aspiring chef always connected teaching and cooking. While holding positions as an educator, Joel has been cooking professionally for over 20 years. The chef has worked in several top kitchens in New England such as Chez Pascal in Providence, RI, Union League Cafe in New Haven, CT, and Bar Bouchée in Madison, CT. More recently Chef Joel has worked at LINCOLN Ristorante in New York City under Chef Jonathan Benno and spent time at Millwright’s Restaurant and Tavern in Simsbury, CT with James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalist Tyler Anderson. Chef Joel also designed and ran a successful food program for a student financial services company based in New Haven, CT.
A few TV Apperances over the years how given Chef some national recognition. Beat Bobby Flay - Chopped - Cutthroat Kitchen - Rocco’s Dinner Party.
OWNER / OPERATOR / PUBLIC RELATIONS
Raised in New York City, Lani is no stranger to excellence in service and a refined dining experience.
Her elegant touches to our dining rooms and private event space do not go unnoticed. Attention to detail and graceful approach to your visit to Grano Arso allows diners to feel welcomed and elated.
A nurse by trade, turned restaurant owner. A skill set that lends itself to hospitality seamlessly. With her husband, Chef Joel, there isn’t one job undoable. Floral decor and design, managing social media - But, you’ll usually see Lani managing the guests’ experience, and sometimes in the kitchen when Grano Arso flips occasionally into a Pop-Up Vietnamese Restaurant.
