Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza started her last day at Barrio Cafe with an Instagram live. “Today is my graduation day,” she said. “I’m retiring.”
As she spoke to the camera she showed bottles of tequila from her vast collection and spoke about Mexican wine.
Then, in her classic, passionate way, she gave the camera a profanity-laced piece of her mind about injustices ranging from the presidential race to the James Beard Foundation. Then she brought it back to Barrio Cafe. “I’ve given my life, my spirit my soul to this work,” she said.
And her community showed up to say goodbye. By 10:45 a.m. a line had formed outside of the restaurant.
“Over many years I used to live 735 steps from the restaurant,” said Cyndy Gaughan. Two days earlier, she had visited the restaurant and some people asked if they could share her table. She said yes. It’s a community place. Earlier that morning, she asked her partner, “How about one last lunch at Barrio?”
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“There is nothing like this in the Mexican cuisine realm in Phoenix,” Gaughan said. “It is elevated. It is always on point. It is perfect and if you want to impress somebody from out of town, this is the place you bring them.”
Inside, as the hostess Gabriella Bernard showed eager diners to their seats while Esparza, dressed in all black black, donning a black apron brocaded with flowers, sat with her customers. She answered questions and autographed copies of her book. She visited every table, handing out stickers of her standing in front of the restaurant, giving the middle finger to the world, and another sticker of a skeleton with a chef hat emblazoned with Barrio Cafe comida chingona.
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Before long, almost all the tables were occupied.
Servers carried round trays of food to hungry guests and almost every table had an order of Esparza’s famous chunky guacamole topped with ruby red pomegranate seeds.
Someone asked Bernard what would happen when dishes sold out. “When the food is gone, that’s it. We prepped what we had,” she said.
Customers shared memories and their tables
A group of four women sat at a round table. They had brought a friend from out of town to Barrio and invited a complete stranger to share their table. “I just love the atmosphere here and the food,” said Amanda Young. “Honestly, one of my coolest moments here is that I saw Muhammad Ali and his family here eight or nine years ago.” She took out her cell phone to show a photo of him. “So you know I’m not fibbing,” she said.
The air was thick with nostalgia. People took their time looking around and taking it all in. When Esparza stopped by a table, two women asked if she would pose with them for a photo. She did, and then she thanked them for their support.
I’ve been coming here for many years,” said Jack Monte who was there enjoying his favorite enchiladas one last time. “I kinda feel like this place is just one of a kind. I’m really sad to see this place go.”
He was there alone, and like many of the customers who came for the final day of service, he was there despite having visited in the days and weeks since the closure was announced.
When he finished his meal, he gazed wistfully down at his empty plate and quietly said: “I just had to come back one last time.”
Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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