PAULA DASILVA

A native of Brazil, Paula DaSilva has been in the states since she was seven. While living in Boston, Paula got her first taste of the kitchen at the age of 10 when her parents opened a small family style Brazilian Restaurant. After 3 years in that restaurant, her family decided to move to South Florida and open two larger restaurants. Over the next five years, Paula assisted her parents in all aspect of operating the restaurant. In between, attending High School classes and playing in the basketball team, she was always at the restaurant. Most of her time was spent in the kitchen cooking, prepping the meats for the "rodizio" and ordering. Upon graduating, Paula attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. She graduated in 1998 with an Associates degree in Culinary Arts. It was then Paula was ready to venture out and got her first job in an "American" kitchen working the pantry station at Sheffield's and Sea Breeze Restaurant located in the Harbor Beach Marriott in Ft. Lauderdale. For two years she rotated the entire kitchen and learned all the stations. It wasn't until December of 2000 when 3030 Ocean Restaurant opened and she landed her first job as Sous Chef for the acclaimed Dean James Max. Under Max's tutelage, Paula's knowledge, passion and expertise in the kitchen has grown exponentially, landing her the position she holds now as Chef de Cuisine. Paula has achieved numerous guest chef invites to the James Beard House, a stage with the famed Chef Joel Antunes of Joel's in Atlanta, as well as the opening of a successful Italian restaurant in St. Kitts. When she is not cooking, Paula likes to enjoy the beautiful South Florida beaches, dine out and try new restaurants, and travel! Paula was most recently a finalist on season 5 of the highly rated Hell's Kitchen with Chef Gordon Ramsey!