'That was my opus': Phoenix's most iconic chef is closing her historic Mexican restaurant
Phoenix landmark Barrio Cafe is closing at the end of May after more than two decades.
"After a lot of meditation and soul searching, I'm closing Barrio Cafe," chef Silvana Salcido Esparza told The Arizona Republic during an interview on March 20. "I gave you guys 22 years. I hope you came."
Esparza, one of the most well-known and outspoken chefs in Phoenix, opened Barrio Cafe on 16th Street in Phoenix in 2002 with $38,000. The restaurant ended up becoming one of the most influential, starting with a five-star review by The Republic's former food critic, Howard Seftel. And the chef became an icon of the local food scene in her own right, introducing the Valley to elevated, regional Mexican cuisines and being a voice for her community.
“I saw an opportunity to elevate popular perceptions of Mexican culture through my food,” she said ahead of her 2022 acceptance of the ASU MLK Jr. service award. “... at the Barrio Cafe, I was able to change perception merely with my cooking.”
Esparza has been a James Beard Best Chef Southwest semifinalist seven times and was a semifinalist for the national James Beard Outstanding Chef award in 2023.
2023 James Beard Awards: These Arizona chefs and restaurants are semifinalists. Here's the list
Barrio Cafe was more than a restaurant; it was a platform for change
Beyond the kitchen, Esparza is a fierce advocate for immigrant rights, women, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. During the 2020 presidential election, she joined Biden's Latino leadership committee and hosted now-President Joe Biden and his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, at Barrio Cafe.
"My last hurrah was feeding my community during COVID," she said. "That was my opus. That was my 'I love you' to Phoenix."
Esparza championed and mentored Phoenix artists and chefs, from recent "Chopped" grand champion chef Peter McQuaid to Jorge Picos of Estero Beach Tacos, whose truck was named best taco in Phoenix by readers in Top Taco 2023. "Articles can be written about you, books can be written and documentaries filmed," Picos wrote in a March 20 Instagram story. "What you have built for Mexican cuisine for Arizonans and the world is epic. You're a friend for life."
Closing Barrio Cafe marks the end of an era
It's not an overstatement to say that the closure of Barrio Cafe will be the end of an era in Phoenix dining. And it wasn't a decision Esparza took lightly.
"I have sarcoidosis. Stress kills me," Esparza explained. "I have to take care of my health and do things on my own terms."
Esparza plans to shutter the restaurant in the next few weeks. But she still owns the building and plans to put part of the proceeds of renting the space towards easing the transition financially for long-time staff members while they look for other work.
Esparza hugged Gabriella Bernard who's been working at the restaurant for 14 years. "I'm sorry I got old," she said through tears.
"What I've done here has been the best privilege, job, source of platform that I could ever dream for," she said. "But I have an urgency for writing and for family."
Life after Barrio Cafe
Though her iconic restaurant is closing, Esparza isn't going anywhere. "I need to focus on a part of me that I know I have to do and that's being a writer."
Her autobiographical book, "La Hija de la Chingada: Chronicles of a Mexican Chef in the U.S.A." goes on presale May 5, 2024. In it, she talks about her journey and delves into the history of the food she makes, championing the indigenous cooking upon which so many dishes were built.
And though Esparza isn't yet ready to reveal details, she feels like rather than closing Barrio Cafe, she is passing the torch to "the son I never knew I had," who will open a new restaurant concept in the space.
"He'll take ownership of our own roots, power and culture," she said. "That inspiration is for all the young chicanitos. Don't give up. It's your right. Own it. Get so big that other cultures can't appropriate you."
How to visit Barrio Cafe one last time
Barrio Cafe will remain open for regular service through May 31.
Details: 2814 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-636-0240, barriocafe.com.
President Biden in Phoenix: President Biden visits a longtime Mexican restaurant. Why it was the perfect venue
Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Iconic Phoenix Mexican restaurant Barrio Cafe is closing. What to know
