The born-and-raised Angeleno treats the city to esteemed restaurants with more eateries to come
Four-time James Beard Award-winning chef, baker, restaurateur and author Nancy Silverton has always had a lot cooking.
The Sherman Oaks and Encino native got her start by working with Jonathan Waxman at Michael’s and serving as Wolfgang Puck’s opening pastry chef at Spago before she co-founded the iconic restaurant Campanile and adjacent La Brea Bakery in Hancock Park.
In 2007, she opened pizza institution Mozza — followed by Michelin-starred Italian mainstay Osteria Mozza, Italian meat haven Chi Spacca, Mozza2Go and Mozza offshoots in locations including Los Cabos, Singapore, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. The chef-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group (mozzarestaurantgroup.com) has also published 11 cookbooks, appeared on culinary shows and fundraised for charities like the Los Angeles Food Bank and No Kid Hungry.
Mozza reopens in Hawaii.Credit: Courtesy Nancy Silverton
But these days, Silverton shows no signs of slowing and is busier than ever. When Phil Rosenthal asked her to serve as executive chef of Max & Helen’s, she immediately agreed to reimagine classic diner favorites (and she wasn’t even a big diner-goer). However, she knew his reasons for opening the restaurant were threefold: “It was the passing of his father and wanting to honor both of his parents. It was going to the Palace Diner [in Maine] and realizing how fantastic a contemporary diner could be,” she tells Los Angeles. “But also, his love of the neighborhood — meaning Larchmont. He [loved] the idea of contributing to his community.”
The Caesar crostini from Soho House.Credit: Sean Hazen
In conjunction with Soho House West Hollywood’s 15-year anniversary and reimagination, Silverton designed an exclusive dinner menu for the Garden restaurant, which debuted in October. Blending Italian and California cuisines, she created new dishes, like braised chicken thighs and 10-veggies Cobb salad, alongside her staples such as rib-eye with black olive tapenade and Pizzeria Mozza meatballs.
She’s also a fixture at food festivals, and this year, she’s served up inventive bites at culinary events including L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, the Hotel Bel-Air’s End-of-Summer BBQ and Wolfgang Puck’s Beverly Hills Autumn BBQ.
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Next up? “This little pasta bar opening up in Koreatown,” she says of Lapaba, a portmanteau of “la pasta bar.” There, husband-and-wife chef team McKenna Lelah and Matthew Kim (of Osteria Mozza) will put Korean twists on classic Italian dishes — like kimchi suppli stuffed with spam and mozzarella — and serve pasta made onsite in a designated pasta room.
Lapaba pasta bar is coming to Koreatown.Credit: Ira Edelman
But that’s not all. Silverton is opening a restaurant in Bozeman, Montana on the heels of reopening a remodeled Mozza in Lanai, Hawaii. Even more exciting for Angelenos, she’s partnering with Rick Caruso and River Jetty Restaurant Group on a new Italian steakhouse, Spacca Tutto, slated to open at Palisades Village in August.
Upcoming Italian steakhouse Spacca Tutto at Palisades Village.Credit: Avroko
“I wanted to bring a new concept to the Westside, pulling inspiration from the Italian flavors that Angelenos know well, alongside some new dishes inspired by a classic American steakhouse,” she announced. Drawing from Chi Spacca’s roots, the lunch and dinner spot will offer steaks, salads, seafood and veggies along with small bites at the bar, craft cocktails and nearly 250 Italian and domestic wines.
“I’m honored to be a part of the future of the Palisades,” added Silverton, who continues to make immeasurable contributions to the city of L.A.