Silvana Salcido Esparza, the acclaimed chef/owner of Barrio Café, is on the verge of adding a big-time new restaurant at a big-time location to her stable.
Coming to SouthBridge in Old Town Scottsdale this November: an eponymous restaurant called Silvana, a "Euro-Mexican" concept that she describes as "on the elegant side of Mexican cuisine."
Esparza has been wooed for years by just about every Valley landlord saddled with vacant restaurant space, hoping to be part of her expanding, high-profile brand in this still-challenging economy. (She's opening a restaurant in Gilbert next January, as well as an eatery at Sky Harbor's Terminal 4 in early 2012.) But she's been very patient, waiting for the right time, the right place and the right suitor before she committed.
And now she's found him: It's SouthBridge developer Fred Unger. They've just about completed a deal - one final hurdle, a sidewalk patio that must be approved by the city of Scottsdale, remains to be cleared -- for her to move into the empty Metro Brasserie storefront.
Esparza emphasizes that Silvana will not be another outpost of Barrio Café, but an entirely new operation with a new slate of dishes. "The sky is the limit," she says.
The restaurant is actually named after her maternal grandmother - "she taught me everything I know," Esparza says.
Among the dishes she plans to offer are lamb steamed in a bag made from maguey cactus; duck confit tacos; jalapenos stuffed with salmon escabeche; pasta with chicken and Mexican sausage; and, in a tribute to her grandmother, chile colorado. Some Barrio Cafe favorites, like tableside guacamole and chiles en nogada, are also likely to journey east.
Attached to Silvana will be a more casual operation called Barrio Queen Tequileria, which will feature tacos, tortas, pork al pastor, posole, aguas frescas and an extensive list of margartitas. Esparza wants to make it clear that Barrio Queen is "not a Mexican bar disguised as a restaurant." Her aim, she says, is "to honor and promote Mexican culture, food and cuisine to its full potential."
Nabbing Esparza is a real coup for Unger, whose original SouthBridge vision of a glittering complex featuring top independent chefs in one-of-a-kind restaurants collapsed when the economy did. But there are signs that the development may now be turning the corner, and Unger is counting on Esparza to boost the momentum even further.
Last year, the superb Marcellino Ristorante successfully moved into the former Digestif space. First-rate Spanish fare is the attraction at Tapas Papa Frita, which inhabits the digs originally intended for a never-opened restaurant called Mexican Standoff.
The Herb Box, which replaced the swanky Estate House, is a hit with the Scottsdale-ladies-who-shop-and-lunch set. And Unger is in negotiations to nab a tenant for SouthBridge's last empty restaurant space, formerly the setting for Canal and short-lived Acua.
"It's a sheer blessing to add Silvana to SouthBridge's blue-chip line-up," says an enthusiastic Unger. He's hopeful that the sidewalk-patio snag - Esparza calls it a "deal-breaker" - can be resolved. Esparza's architect and the city of Scottsdale are working on the issue.
Barrio Café itself is in the midst of expansion. Esparza hopes to launch Barrio Café Bar by the end of the year. (Currently, no-reservations Barrio Café has almost no bar space for the waiting crowds.) The centerpiece will be an antique 1810 bar from Puebla, and Esparza will be offering intriguing bar snacks as well as drinks.
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