When Chef Barbara Sibley opened La Palapa Cocina Mexicana, her flagship restaurant on St. Marks Place in New York City’s East Village in 2000, she had one goal in mind.
“When we opened our doors 25 years ago, my dream was simple: to bring the depth and soul of authentic Mexican cuisine to New York City, a place that wasn’t yet fully ready to embrace it. But I believed deeply that this city would come to love the Mexico I carried in my heart,” Sibley wrote in a late November announcement looking back on what she calls “this milestone year.”
And what a quarter century it has been!
From the days when Mexican restaurants meant fast food tacos and were rarely if ever reviewed, Sibley has built a culinary destination for diners who treasure a menu that includes Mexico City tacos and authentic regional Mexican cuisine: Tacos al Pastor, Mole Negro Oaxaqueño, Salsa Pibil and many other specialties from different regions of Mexico. So authentic are her recipes that La Palapa was awarded the “Disctinctivo” by Sabores Autenticos de Mexico Foundation which promotes authentic Mexican products.
This Mexico City born-and-raised chef also has been honored as the Operator of the Year from the Industry Excellence Awards presented by the Food and Restaurant Expo and selected as a member of the Fall 2022 James Beard Foundation Women Entrepreneurial Program, and recognized for her leadership in Les Dames d’Escoffier New York (an organization devoted to philanthropy, education, and advocacy).
That success has not come without challenges.
As Sibley explained, “Our journey has also meant weathering the storms that shape New York: 9/11, the blackout, Hurricane Sandy, and, of course, COVID. Through each of these moments, our mission extended far beyond our dining room. We cooked for first responders after 9/11 and again during the pandemic — acts of service that earned us awards I hold close to my heart because they embody who we are and why we cook.”
And she credits the support from the La Palapa team, guests, neighbors and friends for carrying the restaurant through the good times and bad.
“Twenty-five years later, La Palapa is still cooking from the heart, still welcoming guests like family, and still celebrating Mexico in all its complexity, beauty, and joy,” Sibley concluded in her end-of-year message.
el Restaurante congratulates Sibley and the entire La Palapa team!
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