Nancy Silverton, F&W’s 1990 Best New Chef, tells the story of her rise from Spago to Campanile to the Mozza Restaurant Group, publishing cookbooks and a podcast along the way.

Nancy Silverton remembers certain moments in her career well. The first was in 1974, when she realized she wanted to be a chef while working in her college dorm kitchen. The second was in 1990, when she received a letter saying she had been named Best New Chef by Food & Wine.

The award came as a surprise to Silverton, as her Los Angeles Italian restaurant, Campanile, had only been open for less than a year. She received the award alongside her then-co-chef and co-owner Mark Peel, who was responsible for most of the savory dishes while Silverton was in charge of pastries and baked goods. “It easily could have been Mark, but Food & Wine gave the award to both of us, which was quite unusual and forward-thinking, recognizing that we both had this contribution to make,” she says.

“I couldn’t imagine not being in the restaurant every single day, every single moment. I never thought I would have the mini-empire that I have now.”

Nancy Silverton

At the beginning of her career, when she was cooking for Wolfgang Puck at Spago, the idea of ​​owning more than one restaurant seemed impossible. “I couldn’t imagine not being in the restaurant every day, every moment,” she remembers. “I never imagined having such a small empire as I do today.”

Related: 23 Irresistible Italian-Inspired Recipes from Nancy Silverton

Today, Silverton is co-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group, which includes Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza, Chi Spacca and Mozza2Go in Southern California, with additional locations in Singapore, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, London and Baja California Sur, Mexico. She also owns an ice cream shop, Nancy’s Fancy, hosts the podcast “Three Ingredients” with Laurie Ochoa and Ruth Reichl, and has written 11 cookbooks.

Building a restaurant empire didn’t come easy for Silverton. “I had to accept that I’m responsible for everything that happens in my restaurants, no matter what, no matter where I am in the world,” she says. “And it was also important for me to realize that things go wrong when you’re not there, but also when you are there.” Like any restaurant owner, Silverton had to make a decision: She would either commit to being in a restaurant every day, or she would grow her business knowing that her team was capable of running the restaurant without her supervision. She chose the latter.

Another thing Silverton didn’t think she’d consider? An eleventh cookbook. “I always compare writing cookbooks to when you decide to have another child. You give birth to a child and you think, ‘OK, I’m never going to have another child.’ And then over time you forget the pain and have another one.” The book she didn’t think she’d write is her 2023 baking bible. The cookie that changed my life. It features over 100 recipes, including her ultimate versions of carrot cake, peanut butter cookies and Italian chocolate salami – the most creative way to repurpose biscotti. For Silverton, it’s a chance to return to her first love, pastries and baking. “I thought if I really took the time to look at each of these desserts that we call classics and try to make them as good as possible, then I would feel like I had accomplished my mission.”

Related: Nancy Silverton wants a 23andMe for sourdough

Silverton’s restaurant portfolio continues to grow, with burger pop-ups, brand partnerships and the opening of three new restaurants in 2024, including a new Mozza in Washington, DC – a first-time collaboration with chef Stephen Starr.

Silverton never tires of her work. “I’m just as excited today as I was when I first realized I wanted to be a chef,” she says. “All of us who work in this field and love our work, it’s just in our DNA. We wake up every day and do what we’re meant to do.”

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Read the original article on Food & Wine.