Recognizing the Retirement of Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source