Chef Silvia Garcia helms Park Slope’s Vinazo bar

I went to LaGuardia High School for visual arts and was totally determined to become an architect, and then I realized what I actually wanted to be a chef. So I applied to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) without my parents knowing and ended up getting admitted. It took me a while to convince them, but my parents realized that this was what I wanted to do and they supported me.

I ended up really liking CIA. I worked in town on weekends in Buddakan, and then ended up doing my externship there. Then I worked at Prune (in the East Village), which was great; I loved working there. But then Covid happened and I lost my job, like many other people. I was out of the kitchen for about a year and a half, which was scary. I missed it so much.

A family friend who owns a specialty Spanish food store in Cobble Hill told me about Bar Vinazo opening and that they were looking for a chef. He’s also from Spain, and knowing I’m from there, he said he thought I’d be the perfect fit. So, he put me in touch with Joe (Campanale), and we ended up meeting in person, doing a tasting, and that’s pretty much all she wrote.

I started as a consultant here and they asked me to stay. At that point, it was my baby – I had put so much time and effort into this place that I couldn’t say no. They also gave me the opportunity to become a partner, which was really exciting. Honestly, I never thought that at 25 years old I would be able to run this business or run a restaurant. This was truly a dream of mine, and I can’t thank Joe and Ilyssa (Satter) enough for giving me the opportunity to do this.

Bar Vinazo is one of, if not the only, place in and around Park Slope serving Spanish cuisine like this. What does this mean to you, the person in charge?

Growing up, I would go to school and my mom would make me lunches that always had all these Spanish dishes, and people would be like, “Ooh, what is that?” Today we are kind of expanding our knowledge of Spanish food, wine and culture in New York, but there is still so much that is not really known and needs to be explored. I think Brooklyn is becoming one of the hottest places for restaurants right now. Being able to show people that there is more to Spain than just paella means a lot to me.

I taught a canned fish class on Saturday, and it was really fun because it’s a hot commodity right now, but there’s still a lack of knowledge about what makes it so special and what makes it so important in Spanish culture. It’s really special to open a place like Bar Vinazo and introduce people to Spanish cuisine a little more.

How did you create the menu?

Many of my ideas and inspirations come from my childhood. I spent about four months a year in Spain with my family in the summer and around Christmas. I spent a lot of time cooking with my two grandmothers, both of whom are excellent cooks. A lot of the dishes on my menus are nostalgic and some of the recipes are actually from my grandmothers. I think both of my 85-year-old grandmothers are wondering, “Why is this on a menu in New York?!” and I’m like, “Because it’s really good food!” » Obviously, I gave my own vision of certain things; I don’t think it’s appropriate to bring the pot to the table, like my grandmother would, but a lot of the inspiration comes from them.

Do you have a favorite thing to cook?

It’s like asking someone to choose their favorite child. I think it’s really exciting to put pork cheeks on the menu because, to me, it’s a delicacy and I haven’t seen them on a lot of menus in New York. I think it’s important to bring items to the menu that people may not be as familiar with. They are also fun to cook and delicious to eat. So, for now, that’s my answer, but I change the menu very seasonally. I like to go to the market, see what’s available and build the menu around that.

Tell me about being a woman in charge of a professional kitchen.

I can’t say it’s easy, especially because I’m so young. I started cooking when I was 16, so it was always a bit difficult. It’s not a female-dominated career, but I think times have definitely changed, and it’s really nice to see that a lot of kitchens are run by women. That being said, you obviously face some challenges. One example was when I was training a new guy and someone came into the kitchen and said, “We want to talk to the manager.” » I was the only one there, so I was like, “Okay, how can I help you?” And this guy looked at me and said, “No, not you,” and pointed at the person I was training and said, “I want to talk to him.” I want to talk to the boss. He clarified and said: “I’m not the boss, she is.”

Luckily, we have such a great team at Bar Vinazo that I have never felt disrespected by my team. But it is difficult to delegate someone who is older than you. There are people here who are probably ten years older than me. It can be hard to take me seriously when I’m much younger, but I’ve made my position known and I’m still here to help.

I think when someone sees you working hard and doing whatever you can to help, respect is earned, not asked for or assumed. My team sees that I work really hard, that I take out the trash, that I do everything I can to show them that even though I’m in this position, it doesn’t mean I’m not there to support them. Being a woman, especially after Covid, has such a different meaning in the kitchen. It’s definitely difficult, but it’s not as difficult as it used to be.

What do you do on your days off, and does that include cooking?

Oh my God…sleep? No, I like to go out to eat on my days off. I’ve met so many chefs and restaurateurs who work here and I want to support their businesses. Trying food is also key to this industry: I love seeing what other people are doing and getting a feel for what’s happening outside of my little kitchen in Brooklyn. As for cooking, I cook a lot for my dog. I don’t cook much for myself. She’s definitely way more spoiled than me when it comes to cooking. I’m trying to take it slowly.

What did you learn during your time at Bar Vinazo?

Oh my God, so much. Joe is a very good mentor. He was also very young when he started managing and opening restaurants. It’s really nice to have someone who’s been through it to guide me on certain aspects. He has been really great in providing information and support in managing people.

I also learned that even if you don’t know how to do something, be transparent and say, “Look, I don’t know how to do this, but I’ll learn to do it the best I can.” capacity” is so important. I had never opened a restaurant as Executive Chef. I had never been an executive chef. I came here and said, “I don’t know how to do some things, but I promise I’m going to work hard and learn them,” and I did. It’s the only way for you to move forward. So, I’m still learning to be uncomfortable, to take on things that maybe I don’t know how to do, and not to be afraid to do them.