[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 90 (Thursday, May 23, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                    HONORING SILVANA SALCIDO ESPARZA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREG STANTON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2024

  Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the lifetime achievement of 
Silvana Salcido Esparza, a nationally celebrated chef, restaurateur, 
and civil rights leader.
  Chef Silvana grew up in a multi-generational Mexican-American 
household in California's Central Valley. She learned to cook at her 
grandmother's side and founded her first food business--selling 
carnitas and tacos out of her parent's bakery--at just 15 years old, 
before attending culinary school. Chef Silvana traveled widely 
throughout Mexico as a young woman, sampling regional cuisine and 
speaking to chefs about recipes that had been passed down for 
generations. She settled in Arizona in 2002, where she opened her first 
restaurant, Barrio Cafe. Chef Silvana's elevated and inspired takes on 
regional Mexican cuisine quickly attracted notice. In 2004, just two 
years after Barrio Cafe opened its doors, she was inducted into the 
Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame. A seven-time James Beard semifinalist 
for Best Chef Southwest and a 2023 semifinalist for Outstanding Chef, 
she has earned features in Latino and Esquire magazines, Diners Drive-
Ins and Dives, and NBC's Today Show Barrio Cafe has hosted celebrities 
and U.S. presidents bringing all of Arizona closer together over its 
dining tables.
  For Chef Silvana, cooking has always been an act of love for her 
community and her heritage. Through Barrio Cafe, she fostered a deeper 
appreciation and understanding of Mexican cuisine in Phoenix. From 
transporting key ingredients from Mexico to crafting flavorful dishes 
from family recipes, Chef Silvana created an ode who she most admires: 
Mexican women who cook. As a female chef in a male-dominated industry, 
she has mentored up-and-coming Phoenix chefs and continues to inspire 
young chefs across the country.
  Moreover, her food has fueled community-driven activism. A proud 
member of the LGBTQ community, Chef Silvana has been outspoken against 
the waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment. In the wake of Arizona's disastrous 
anti-immigrant law, SB1070, Chef Silvana brought paletas to counter-
protestors and founded ``Calle 16: A Mural Project'', in which murals 
painted on the sides of Barrio Cafe and other Phoenix businesses 
highlighted the experiences of being Mexican American. During the 
Covid-I9 pandemic, as restaurants across the state shut their doors, 
she repurposed her kitchens to prepare packaged meals for people 
experiencing homelessness for health care workers, and anyone else who 
needed a hot meal.
  There are few people in Phoenix history who have left a greater mark 
on our community. This summer, after 22 years, Barrio Cafe will close 
its doors--but I know we haven't seen the last of Chef Silvana. I wish 
her the best of luck in this new chapter.

                          ____________________