Thiago Silva, New York and Miami (Rest.)

*****
If you have a sweet tooth and/or an affection for Brazilians, you’ll find pastry chef Silva to be the new “catch” of New York's restaurant scene. Silva is the talent, along with executive chef Hung Huynh, behind EMM Group's successful group of restaurants: Catch, The General, La Cenita, and Lexington Brass in New York, and Catch Miami. Check out this Brazilian hottie's enticing, exotic, and beautifully plated dessert creations next time you’re in the area.

Date-night dinner: My wife loves pasta—made from scratch of course. I usually take my time making the tomato sauce to allow for the flavors to develop. That's really the secret—take your time, guys. My wife's favorite is penne pomodoro, topped off with grilled shrimp. Simple and delicious.

Favorite way to sweat: Well, besides what happens after the pasta, I would have to say sports. Just getting out there and playing basketball and soccer is the best way to get a sweat going to me. Time flies, you have fun, and you don't even realize how many calories you just burned off.

Food splurge: Churrasco, a.k.a. barbecue, Brazilian-style, of course. There's nothing I like to splurge on more than that, usually paired with a Brazilian drink like a Guarana or sometimes a Caipirinha.

Brazilian-born and Queens-raised, Thiago Silva is all pastry chef. Baking since he was 13, Silva’s first exposure to professional pastry came during high school, when he entered Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) through which he interned at pastry temple Fauchon. After he graduated, he soon earned a position with his mentor, Pastry Chef Alfred Stephens of Olives. After three years at Olives, Silva moved on to Abe & Arthur, an EMM Group restaurant. Demonstrating his talent, Silva has since become executive pastry chef for the group, overseeing dessert programs at Catch, The General, Lexington Brass, Abe & Arthur’s, and Catch Miami. Silva also has established himself as a top-tier cake decorator, going all out with designs that incorporate moving parts, fog machines, and confetti explosions.

Pastry Chef Thiago Silva
Catch
21 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10014
(212) 627-1235
www.emmgrp.com/restaurant