—Ray Silva, Executive Chef, Serrano Country Club
Meet the Class of 2024: Ray Silva
- Age: 38
- Executive Chef
- Serrano Country Club (El Dorado Hills, Calif.)
Ray Silva pushes the culinary boundaries at Serrano Country Club, listening and thinking outside the box to ensure every member is happy. As a leader, Silva fosters a positive, collaborative environment with a culture of creativity, dedication, and passion for culinary arts.
Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): How do you feel about being recognized as one of C+RC's 40 Under 40 honorees, and what significance does this achievement hold for you?
Ray Silva (RS): Personally and professionally, I am tremendously honored to be nominated for the work I've done in club management. To be acknowledged by peers and colleagues is especially rewarding because we work collectively toward the progression of our club to be the best we can be. Being part of such a prestigious group of honorees holds profound meaning to me to be in the company of many others who have the same commitment to innovation within the industry. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing success.
C+RC: What advice would you offer young chefs aiming to excel in the club and resort culinary industry?
RS: Embrace the ideology of hospitality with every fiber of your being. Just like in any other restaurant environment, you want to serve your guests. The same applies, if not magnified, in the club and resort industry. Work to perfect your craft, then work to protect your craft. Be a leader, be a motivator, and be a mentor. Get to know your membership. Anticipate their needs and exceed their expectations. Listen to feedback from all sides. Directors, GMs, board members, committee members, etc. Most importantly, always cook from the soul.
C+RC: Can you share a personal challenge you've faced in your career and explain how it has shaped you as a chef?
RS: I moved from San Francisco, Calif., to Roseville, Calif., in the Spring of 2015 because it was what was best for my family in raising my children. I thought I was putting my career on hold. What I didn't know was that it was going to open the door to the next phase of my career. I accepted my first Executive Chef position at 30 years old. Three years later, I accepted the Executive Chef position at Serrano Country Club, and it opened my eyes to a whole other side of the hospitality realm.
I'm going on six years at Serrano Country Club. It’s been the best thing I could have done as a chef. Being a club with multiple outlets and many facets, I get to be everything I always wanted to be as a chef. Constantly creating, teaching my staff new methods and techniques, interacting with membership, and building and expanding kitchens. Offering club fare, tasting menus, pre-fixe, and theme-based regional menus, creating live-action stations, outdoor cooking, and live fire cooking. All these things have pushed me to grow as a chef and helped me work on constantly finding new ways to expand my repertoire.
C+RC: What are your future goals and your plan to achieve them?
RS: One of my future goals is to be a Certified Executive Chef. I believe I have the skillset, so to me, it's just a matter of completing the criteria involved. That is a professional journey that I have been looking forward to.
C+RC: What inspired your career in the club and resort sector?
RS: After my last restaurant, I was looking to make a change from the privately owned restaurants and restaurateurs I had worked for my whole 15-year (at that point) career. It had come down to two offers. One was from a large, national brand of entertainment as the Executive Chef and the other was from Serrano Country Club. I chose the club, and it was one of the best professional decisions I have ever made.