Paula DaSilva to Open Artisan Beach House in Bal Harbour

In the section labeled "Chef's Favorites" on Paula DaSilva's latest menu set to launch this December at Artisan Beach House, you'll find all the foods she's currently craving.

For example, there'll probably be poutine, one of her favorite dishes when visiting Montreal, and a really good beef stroganoff, what her chef de cuisine, Tony Coddington, remembers from his last trip to Europe. And when the weather gets a little cooler, expect a New England clam chowder chock full of fresh Cherrystone clams, just like the one DaSilva enjoyed growing up.

"What excites me about this project is that there's something very free about it," DaSilva says. "The menu is going to be inspired by a lot of my travels, married with my 20-plus years of cooking. So if I want to go and dig up an amazing Italian classic or a favorite dish from my childhood, I can do whatever inspires me."

This week, DaSilva announced she'll step into a new role as executive chef of Artisan Beach House, slated to open later this year at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour. The restaurant reunites DaSilva with nightlife concept creator and restaurateur Seth Greenberg, who first teamed up with the chef at the now-defunct 1500 Degrees at the Eden Roc.

The move will mark DaSilva's return to the Miami culinary scene after taking a seven-month hiatus from the kitchen to travel and spend time with family.

Today the former Hell's Kitchen contestant remains one of the region’s foremost culinary darlings. The Brazilian chef began her career at 3030 Ocean in 2000 under the tutelage of chef Dean James Max. In 2010, she left Fort Lauderdale to accept the executive chef position at farm-to-table restaurant 1500 Degrees at Eden Roc in Miami Beach. Three years later, she returned to 3030 Ocean in Max's stead but departed shortly thereafter.

Artisan Beach House will offer the same kind of rustic cuisine DaSilva is known for creating. Expect the menu to evolve constantly, printed anew in-house daily. Product will be sourced locally and globally, and sharing will be encouraged. "If I had to choose a word to describe Artisan Beach House, it would be 'eclectic,'" DaSilva says. "The menu is coming along nicely, and it's definitely going to be a collaboration [with Tony], inspired by our travels and the seasons."

Coddington, formerly of Michelle Bernstein's Seagrape inside the Thompson Miami Beach, will take the role as chef de cuisine, while Jason Schaan, a longtime member of Bernstein’s family of restaurants, will oversee the restaurant's new private dining and banquet operations.

Artisan Beach House will be one element of the numerous food-and-drink innovations Greenberg and DaSilva have planned for the property. DaSilva will oversee all food and beverage operations for the hotel property, with particular focus on the large private dining room with views of the Atlantic Ocean and Haulover Cut.

"We're thrilled to be back in Miami and excited to unveil what we have planned at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour," Greenberg says. "Paula is an immense talent, and I knew this was a restaurant concept perfectly suited for her. It will truly be something unique in this market, and while we know visitors will love it, it's designed with locals in mind. Paula and I had a wonderful collaboration at 1500 Degrees, and I'm excited to be working with her again and the amazing team she’s assembled."