Chef Nancy Silverton's enduring secret to success is the simple joy of feeding people
Nancy Silverton, a chef, baker, cookbook writer, and restaurateur, decorated with numerous awards, has spent nearly five decades in the culinary world. Yet, as she explains from her restaurant in Hilton Singapore Orchard, Osteria Mozza, it feels like her journey has only just begun. The true fuel for her unwavering passion isn't awards or expansion—it's the fundamental joy of feeding others and the power of food to evoke emotion.
Speaking during a visit to Singapore, Silverton, whose individual style was on full display in a bold graphic red dress complemented by fancy pearls and her signature quirky hair clips, reflected on her humble beginnings and the philosophy that anchors her success. Her formal training began with a role as a pastry chef at Michael’s in Santa Monica, a move that propelled her to refine her craft at the prestigious Ecole Lenôtre Culinary Institute in Plaisir, France. She then brought her skills back to Los Angeles, taking the role of Pastry Chef at Wolfgang Puck’s famed Spago.
Silverton attributes her early, pivotal success to sheer good fortune—being, as she puts it, "at the right time at the right place." This was in 1989 when she co-founded La Brea Bakery.
“Back when I opened La Brea Bakery... I don't think there were more than a couple bakeries around the United States that were doing bread similar to the type of bread I was making,” she told PhilSTAR L!fe. Her commitment to authentic sourdough and artisan loaves positioned her perfectly at the dawn of the American artisan bread movement.
Her passion for creating comforting culinary spaces continued with Campanile, the celebrated farm-to-table restaurant, and later expanded into the beloved Mozza Restaurant Group: Pizzeria Mozza, the one Michelin-starred Osteria Mozza, and chi Spacca. Each concept is rooted in Italian tradition, but all are infused with Silverton's distinct, vibrant Californian touch.
Food is supposed to bring back memories—memories of something special or a time period in your life.
What makes a cook successful
The conversation circled back to one of the most famous and heartwarming moments in culinary television history: the time Silverton brought Julia Child to tears. In a 1997 episode of Baking with Julia, Silverton prepared her Crème Fraîche Brioche Tart.
Silverton described the anxiety of the moment: "At the very end of the filming... I cut a bite of it and put it in her mouth and I see these tears running down her face. I thought, 'Oh, no. I burnt her with this hot stone fruit that I had just sautéed.'"
It wasn’t until Child delivered her critique: "This is a dessert to cry over."
For Silverton, this was more than just a compliment—it was an affirmation of a chef’s true mission.
“What I took away from that experience is that what I made her and what she ate brought her to tears because that’s what food is supposed to do. And food is supposed to bring back memories—memories of something special or a time period in your life. And that's when you know you've made a successful dish is when you bring somebody to tears,” she said.
Silverton's wisdom is equally grounded when discussing the growth of a chef. The two-time James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef awardee believes continuous learning is crucial.
"I can't pick out one moment," she admitted. "All I can say is that traveling, eating around the world, working with international chefs, seeing kitchens, seeing new ideas is so important to the growth of any chef.”
Yet, her most valuable advice for those in the industry is simple and absolute: love what you do.
"It's an industry that you have to love and you have to have a lot of passion about or a passion with," she said. "Otherwise, I think you need to find something else to do because it does take a lot.”
Discovering Filipino talent
Her philosophy also has a global focus, particularly recognizing and valuing Filipino talent within her organization and the industry. She celebrates the success of Filipino-American chefs who have won James Beard Awards, including her friend Margaret Mansky of République (Outstanding Pastry Chef) and Meynard Llera of Kuya Lord (Outstanding Chef of California).
"We are familiar with your culture and with your cuisine," she said.
She concluded by tying this success back to the emotional impact of food: "To be recognized, again by your peers, especially with a cuisine that is not that well known and yet well known enough that the entire country of voters voted for him [Llera]," is the ultimate testament to that power.
Still more to come
Five decades later, Silverton's unwavering excitement speaks for itself. She is still thrilled by a trip to the farmers market, still satisfied when a colleague prepares a superb meal, and still finds genuine "pleasure in feeding people and seeing the smile on their face."
For a chef who has defined American baking and elevated Italian dining, the future isn't about chasing new mountains, but simply continuing what she has started.
“I'm really enjoying the process of opening up new restaurants and creating new teams and new families,” she said. “If I had to say what's next, it would be just continuing the path that I've been on for the last several years.”
Maybe open a restaurant in the Philippines, we asked? "Yeah, maybe in the Philippines."
