Silvana Salcido Esparza, Owner and Chef of Barrio Café

Though she calls herself a late-bloomer, Silvana Salcido Esparza started her first business at the age of 15—making and selling carnitas at her father’s bakery in Merced, Central Valley, Calif. “I grew up as the daughter of a Mexican baker who was in turn the son of a Mexican baker,” she says. “It goes back to the 1200’s when my ancestors were the royal pastry chefs to the king of Spain.” At the age of 35, the chef achieved her degree from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute—on scholarship, no less. She went on to be the corporate chef for Arizona State University. But it wasn’t until 2002—the year she opened Barrio Café in Phoenix—when Esparza would make her true mark on the Valley’s culinary landscape.

Barrio Café (and her subsequent restaurant, Barrio Queen, in Old Town) dishes up authentic Mexican cuisine that has garnered two James Beard Award nominations for the chef. (This year, Esparza hopes to add a large bar to the cafe as well as create a cookbook.) Though Esparza is quick to say that there are better chefs out there, her passion for producing and perpetuating true Mexican fare is what makes her a force to be reckoned with. “It starts with the love for my culture, and the angst that [I get when I] see misrepresentation,” she says. “I guess the day I die and I know I was a vital part of changing that perception, that’ll be my crowning achievement.”

Outside of her culinary craft, this art enthusiast also hopes to “accomplish, with the help of many, a cultural point of pride” via her nonprofit, Calle 16. “I created it for the beautification of 16th Street [where Barrio Café is located] and to create a cultural arts district.” To raise funds, Esparza even teaches tamale classes. Head-turning murals line the Phoenix street and events like toy drives have been held to benefit nearby organizations—all thanks to Esparza’s Calle 16.
—Melissa Larsen