San Francisco’s La Cocina earns Basque Award, celebrating 20 Years
By Loureen Ayyoub
When it comes to food in the San Francisco Bay Area, flavor overflows, and one big reason is the nonprofit La Cocina. For chef Olivia Mecalco, cooking has always been about family, a passion passed down through generations.
“My family, my grandma, she loved to cook. My mom, she loved to cook. And when I was little, my mom always told me, ‘You have to cook for family.’ That’s why I started cooking, and I learned after her,” Mecalco said.
Since 2005, La Cocina has helped turn stories like Mecalco’s into success, giving budding entrepreneurs the support to make their culinary visions a reality. Executive director Leticia Landa says it’s all about community empowerment.
“We work with mostly immigrants, women, people of color, people who are incredibly talented entrepreneurs, who are needing resources in order to start their businesses,” Landa said.
This year marks La Cocina’s 20th anniversary, two decades of empowering food makers and transforming lives through opportunity.
“La Cocina started in 2005. So, this whole year, we have been doing our 20th anniversary, and it’s just extra touching to have gotten the Basque culinary prize this year,” Landa said.
The Basque Culinary World Prize, one of the highest honors in global gastronomy, was awarded to Landa in recognition of La Cocina’s impact through food and its work in empowering women and immigrant entrepreneurs. The prize money will help fund future programs for chefs like Mecalco.
“Starting at La Cocina, they helped me with all the permits I needed, they helped me start with catering, farmer markets,” Mecalco said.
The nonprofit also provides a large community kitchen for food preparation. Up next this weekend is La Cocina’s Street Food Festival, a celebration of culture, community, and, of course, that iconic Bay Area flavor.
“Yeah, you know, 20 years is a really big deal. And some of the businesses that are going to be at the festival have been operating for 20 years, which is remarkable, particularly for food businesses,” Landa said.
A global award, a local legacy, and twenty years of proving that when food brings people together, the results are something everyone can taste.
