Chef John Silva

Founder, Sherpa & Chief Visionary

It’s hard writing your own bio because it can seem like bragging.  But, if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it completely.

I took my first job when I was 15 ½.  Since then I’ve been a mechanic, a custom cabinet builder, a cashier, a bag boy, a catering cook, a catering sales manager, an event manager, a safety diver, a deck hand, a galley cook, a butcher, a banquet chef, a bartender, an avid installation and interactive artist, a frame maker, a potter, a non-profit grant writer, an instructional chef, a prep cook, a sous chef, a bar and restaurant consultant, a private chef, a designer, an event planner, a florist, business coach, and a business owner.  I’m also a husband, a brother, a father, and a son.  I’ve run rescues to save stranded divers at sea, lead cooking classes for 200 guests, managed weddings with power outages and delayed shuttles over 300 miles from our base camp.  I moderate a group of over 2500 industry professionals and I’ve also sat on the board and functioned as the president for NACE San Francisco.  Even more challenging, I daily help to negotiate bath time for my 5 ½ year old son and potty time with my 2 ½  year old daughter.   I’m also astrologically a cancer who loves long walks on the beach….

So, what does this all mean?  Well, for all intensive purposes related to Culinary Eye, it means that I have a wealth of knowledge that I apply to every event I plan and work on.  I know from first hand experience what it’s like to plan your wedding.  I understand what is behind the decision process for choosing the right vendor for your non-profit gala or fundraiser.  I see what you’re looking for as you plan a dinner to impress investors.  I know how to create a moment that will inspire your guests.  I can build those props or design those designs that will leave a lasting impression.  I create each moment so that it is uniquely yours.  And, above all, I love what I do because every event I put on and every item I build, becomes something that can be shared by many and is consistently better than the last.