[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF CHEF SILVANA SALCIDO ESPARZA

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                           HON. RUBEN GALLEGO

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 22, 2024

  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Chef Silvana 
Salcido Esparza's retirement and all her accomplishments. Since opening 
Barrio Cafe, she has been featured in Sunset Magazine, Esquire 
Magazine, and Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and has been 
a finalist for the James Beard Award several times. Throughout the 
years, Chef Silvana has shared her expertise, mentoring the next 
generation of chefs and small business owners. Inducted into the 
Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame, Chef Silvana has left her indelible mark 
on the Phoenix food scene.
  Chef Silvana is a community leader and civil rights advocate in her 
own right. She has tirelessly advocated for the rights of all in 
Arizona and against abusive and discriminatory legislation like SB1070. 
Chef Silvana cooked and distributed food to those in need during the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership and vision have transformed a stretch 
of 16th Street into `Calle 16,' a hub for local economic development, 
flourishing with Mexican art, murals, culture, and food.
  Since 2002, Barrio Cafe has been a Phoenix institution, serving 
world-renowned Mexican food--`comida chingona'--and promoting Mexican 
American arts and culture. Chef Silvana's story lives on with her 
autobiographical book, `La Hija de la Chingada: Chronicles of a Mexican 
Chef in the U.S.A.' I am lucky to call Chef Silvana a friend, and I 
wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

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