Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Shilling’s love of food blossomed while cooking with his grandmother and parents. On the day he received his driver’s license, Shilling took the family car to a nearby restaurant to ask for a job in the kitchen. His experience there further fueled his interest in the restaurant industry. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Florida State University, Shilling took a position with Hillstone Restaurant Group. He spent time at the company’s top concepts, completed and later oversaw its rigorous management training program, and rose to the position of kitchen manager at the flagship Hillstone on Park Avenue in New York City.
Shilling enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in 2011 and graduated a year later with a job in the kitchen at chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA. He worked nearly every position in the kitchen during his time there in an effort to gain as much experience as possible. Outside the restaurant, he also worked closely with Little Chef’s Kitchen, an organization founded by his wife to teach children, young adults and their families how to prepare and enjoy fresh, affordable, and healthy food.
Looking to return to his Mid-Atlantic roots, Shilling moved to Washington, D.C. in 2015 and took a position on chef Jeremiah Langhorne’s opening team at The Dabney. He was quickly promoted to sous chef and worked closely with Langhorne to develop relationships with purveyors, refine the restaurant’s menu, and establish systems and standards for the restaurant’s kitchen team.
In fall 2016, Shilling left The Dabney to focus his efforts on opening Shilling Canning Company, his first solo restaurant concept. Inspired by his family’s business of the same name that operated in Finksburg, MD from 1935 – 1958, Shilling Canning Company opened in July 2019 in the Yards Park area of Washington, D.C. along the Anacostia River waterfront. The 75-seat restaurant will offer a modern take on the classic American tavern, with a wood-fired brick oven, oversized raw bar, and polished yet comfortable décor.
Shilling lives in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood with his wife, Sara Andrea, and daughter, Alina.