Nancy Silverton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nancy Silverton
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Silverton at St Mary's College in 2019
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| Born | June 20, 1954 Los Angeles, California, US
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| Education | Le Cordon Bleu, London Ecole Lenotre Culinary Institute |
| Occupation | Chef Author |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Employer | Osteria Mozza Pizzeria Mozza |
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Notable work
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The Mozza Cookbook Breads from the LaBrea Bakery |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Outstanding Chef, James Beard Foundation Award (2014) Best of Food and Entertaining (1999) Bon Appétit Pastry Chef of the Year, James Beard Foundation (1990) |
Nancy Silverton (born June 20, 1954) is a famous American chef, baker, restaurant owner, and author. She won a big award called the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Chef Award in 2014. Nancy is well-known for making sourdough and special artisan breads popular in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Nancy Silverton grew up in Southern California. Her mother, Doris, was a writer for a TV show. Her father, Larry, was a lawyer. Nancy started college at Sonoma State University to study political science.
In her first year of college, she realized she wanted to be a chef. She was cooking vegetarian food in her dorm kitchen when she had a sudden idea. "I thought, 'Oh wait, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,'" she said later.
Nancy left college before finishing her degree. She decided to train as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in London. After graduating in 1979, she worked at a restaurant in Santa Monica called Michael's. She was inspired by the chefs there.
To learn even more, she went back to Europe. She studied at Ecole Lenotre Culinary Institute in Plaisir, France.
Nancy's Cooking Career
When Nancy returned to Los Angeles in 1982, she got a job with famous chef Wolfgang Puck. She became the first pastry chef at his restaurant, Spago. In 1986, she wrote her first cookbook, which was all about Desserts.
Campanile and La Brea Bakery
In 1989, Nancy, her husband at the time, Mark Peel, and Manfred Krankl opened a restaurant called Campanile. A food critic once said that Campanile greatly helped American cooking.
Right next to Campanile, Nancy and Mark also opened La Brea Bakery. Nancy was the head baker at the bakery. She was also the head pastry chef at the restaurant. Both were located on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.
Nancy had only a little experience baking bread from her time at Spago. She started trying out new recipes. She used grapes, which have natural yeast, and soaked them in flour and water for days. She mixed the dough by hand and let it rise twice over two days.
After six months and many tries, she finally perfected her recipe. At that time, special artisan bread was not well known in Los Angeles. But within weeks, the bakery was selling $1,000 worth of bread every day. On Thanksgiving in 1990, people lined up around the block to buy her bread.
Campanile was also very successful from the start. Nancy and Mark were already well known. The restaurant received great reviews. It was hard to get a reservation. In their first year, sales were over $2 million.
Nancy would bake bread all night, then sleep a little. She would wake up to prepare pastries and desserts for the restaurant. Then she would nap again before dinner. In 1991, she won the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef award. A newspaper said she had "redefined what dessert is" through her work.
In 1992, Nancy and Krankl opened a much larger commercial bakery. They made La Brea Bakery a separate business. By 1993, Nancy was less involved with the bakery. She mostly worked as an advisor.
In 1996, her second book was published. It was called Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery: Recipes for the Connoisseur.
In 1998, Nancy started "Grilled Cheese Night" at Campanile. This became a very popular event in Los Angeles. She was even called the "godmother of grilled cheese sandwiches." This night started a trend around the world. Her book Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book came out in 2005.
In 2001, a company bought La Brea Bakery. Nancy earned a lot of money from the sale. However, she later lost this money in a bad investment. In 2005, she and Mark separated. Nancy left Campanile after their divorce in 2007. The restaurant closed in October 2012.
Los Angeles Restaurants
Pizzeria Mozza
In 2007, Nancy Silverton teamed up with Joseph Bastianich and his family's restaurant group. They opened Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. This pizzeria is known as one of the best in the country. It uses fresh California ingredients and has a famous crust.
The New York Times described the crust as "soft chewy in spots, crisply charred in others." The Los Angeles Times said it was "both tender and crackling crisp on the bottom."
Osteria Mozza
After Pizzeria Mozza's success, Nancy and her team opened Osteria Mozza right next door. This restaurant focuses on fine dining and traditional Italian food. It also uses fresh Californian ingredients.
The restaurant has a special white marble counter called the Mozzarella Bar. Guests can sit there and watch chefs prepare dishes. These dishes feature cheeses like mozzarella and burrata.
A year after opening, Osteria Mozza received a Michelin star. It still holds this star today. Osteria Mozza also has a green Michelin star. This award celebrates restaurants that are good for the environment.
chi SPACCA
Chi SPACCA means "he (or she) who cleaves" in Italian. It opened in 2013. Nancy was inspired by what an Italian butcher might cook for themselves. The restaurant started from popular family-style dinners. These dinners featured salumi, which are cured meats.
They also created a special "dry cure" program. This helped them make perfect Italian cured meats in-house. Chi SPACCA is open daily for dinner. It is known for its "ode to meat, beautiful meat." It also serves tasty fish dishes and fresh vegetables.
Pizzeria Mozza Newport Beach
Nancy opened another Pizzeria Mozza in Newport Beach, California in 2012. This location was similar to the one in Los Angeles. The Newport Beach restaurant closed in October 2024.
Pizzette
In the fall of 2019, Nancy opened Pizzette in Culver City, California. It was a casual Italian restaurant that specialized in small pizzas. Pizzette closed in 2023.
The Barish
The Barish was located in the famous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Its name came from Nancy's grandmother. The restaurant served modern Italian food. The Barish closed in the fall of 2023.
Other US and International Restaurants
- Pizzeria Mozza London - opened in 2021 at the Treehouse Hotel in London.
- Mozza Baja - opened in 2021 at the Four Seasons Costa Palmas in Baja Mexico.
- Osteria Mozza Singapore - opened in 2022 in the Hilton Singapore Orchard Hotel.
- chi SPACCA Via Riyadh - opened in 2023.
- Mozza DC - opened in the fall of 2024 with restaurant owner Stephen Starr.
Nancy's Fancy
In June 2015, Nancy Silverton started her own company called Nancy's Fancy. It is a fancy line of seven flavors of gelato and sorbetto. Nancy's Fancy products are sold in supermarkets. The company started in Chatsworth, California. Later, it moved to a larger warehouse in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles.
The Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn
In early 2019, Nancy became the Culinary Ambassador for The Farmhouse. This is a new food and event space in Ojai, California. As an ambassador, Nancy helps host different events with the Ojai Valley Inn team. She also took part in the first Ojai Food + Wine Festival.
Personal Life
Nancy Silverton has been a member of the Macy's Culinary Council since 2003. She also helps with the Meals on Wheels programs. These programs deliver food to people in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
Awards and Honors
- Eater's TV Chef of the Year (2017)
- Outstanding Chef, James Beard Foundation Award (2014)
- International Star Diamond Award for Outstanding Hospitality (2010)
- RCA Pioneer Award (2003)
- James Beard, nominated for Outstanding Service (2003)
- James Beard, nominated for Outstanding Service (2002)
- James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award, Campanile (2001)
- IACP Julia Child Cookbook Awards Nominee (1997)
- James Beard, Nominee, Best Cookbook of the Year, Baking (1997)
- Los Angeles Culinary Master of the Year (1994)
- James Beard "Who's Who in American Cooking" (1990)
- James Beard Best Pastry Chef of the Year (1990)
- Food & Wine Magazine, Best New Chefs (1990)
TV Appearances
Nancy Silverton has appeared on several TV shows:
- In 2017, she was on an episode of Chef's Table.
- She was a guest judge on Sugar Rush in 2018.
- Nancy appeared in the "New York City" episode of Somebody Feed Phil.
- She often appears on Top Chef.
- Nancy made an appearance on season seven of MasterChef Junior.
- She often appears as a judge on Tournament of Champions.
- Nancy made an appearance on season 11 of MasterChef.
- She made her first appearance as a judge on Guy's Grocery Games in July 2021.
