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Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza introduced Phoenix to fine dining Mexican fare when she debuted Barrio Café in 2002.
Now, this creative, James Beard Award-winning chef — who has described the dishes that define her approach to Mexican cuisine as Comida Chingona, which, roughly translated, means bad-ass or really, really great food — is closing the doors on the restaurant that has been her livelihood and her passion for 22 years.
“It's true, I'm retiring. It's true, I did get a little old," Chef Silvana announced on Instagram. "Without me, there is no Barrio, so we're gonna have to close. But we're closing on a high note….The truth is I'm right at that age where I want to retire, and I wanted to retire since I was 57," Chef Silvana shared on Instagram on March 20 — the day the news broke in the Arizona Republic.
Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza
While the days of Barrio are numbered (May 31 will be the restaurant’s last day, according to Instagram posts), Chef Silvana’s activism and her contributions to the world of gastronomy are not.
“I'm gonna go be a low rider. I'm gonna go feed people in Mexico. I'm still gonna be around, but I'm gonna write books," she announced in her Instagram video.
Up soon: her autobiographical book titled "La Hija de la Chingada: Chronicles of a Mexican Chef in the U.S.A." will be available for presale beginning May 5.
In the post that accompanied the Instagram video, Chef Silvana summed up her feelings as she prepares to close Barrio Café.
“With all of our heart, we, thank you, our beloved staff and family. We thank you our long time Barrio patrons, you are familia. I hope you have enjoyed something that was never meant to be forever. With mad respect, WE DID THIS TOGETHER ❤️ Chef Silvana”
el Restaurante sends heart-felt wishes for all the best on this new journey.
In January 2019, el Restaurante featured Chef Silvana in the first of a series about female chefs making their mark in the world of Mexican/Latin cuisine. You can find it here.
And you can continue following her at www.instagram.com/chefsilvana/?hl=en.
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