Chef
John DaSilva
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
i. Biography
In Boston, John DaSilva’s cooking at Chickadee works as a study in contrast: New England’s granite-and-salt precision set against a wider, more aromatic field of spice. Since 2018, as chef and co-owner, he has shaped a kitchen language that keeps local seafood, pasta, and seasonal produce grounded while using Middle Eastern spice blends to bring the flavors into sharper relief. The seasoning is assertive, but it does not override the region’s materials; it clarifies them.
Coming Up
Training at New England Culinary Institute established the discipline behind John DaSilva’s work, and the kitchens that followed reinforced it. At The Boarding House on Nantucket Island and later at Barbara Lynch’s flagship No. 9 Park, he worked in environments where timing, technique, and hospitality are part of the same job. In 2013, he Opened Spoke Wine Bar, adding a new chapter to a career built through direct kitchen experience and a steady attention to service. By 2018, that path brought him to Chickadee, where he became chef and co-owner and began refining the restaurant’s balance of New England ingredients and Mediterranean-leaning flavor.
Where They Are Now
Since 2018, DaSilva has been chef and co-owner of Chickadee in Boston, Massachusetts, where the cooking stays rooted in New England products while reaching outward with measured confidence. The restaurant’s style leans Mediterranean, but the center holds with the local market: seasons, seafood, pasta, and the ingredients that give the kitchen its place. Bold seasoning enters as an accent, not a cover, giving each component more brightness, depth, and edge without taking away its own character. The menu’s structure is clear and tactile. Seafood brings salinity and snap; pasta brings softness, shape, and weight. Middle Eastern spice blends move through the cooking as a steady thread, adding warmth, aromatic lift, and a quiet layer of complexity. The result is vivid without being loud: a kitchen that knows when to sharpen a flavor and when to let it stay on the palate. DaSilva has pointed back to the staff as part of that clarity. “The thing that’s inspiring me most as we head into this new year is my staff.” In another reflection, he said, “I feel like the vibe at Chickadee is the best it’s ever been.” Both remarks place the focus where it belongs in a working kitchen: on the people who keep the line moving and the standards intact.
Signature
Signature dishes include Harissa-spiced Australian Lamb Tartare, Roasted Branzino, and Fried Quail. Each one follows the same line of thinking: familiar ingredients given a firmer outline, a more aromatic pulse, and a sense of movement between land, sea, and spice.
In Their Words “The thing that’s inspiring me most as we head into this new year is my staff.”
Honors
John's honors include Best Chef, Up & Coming, Zagat "30 Under 30" for Boston, and Rising Star Chef.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of John
What is John DaSilva's current role?
As of 2026, John DaSilva is Chef and Co-owner of Chickadee.
Where did John DaSilva train or study?
John DaSilva trained at New England Culinary Institute.
What recognition has John DaSilva received?
Best Chef, Up & Coming.
