Pasco restaurateur advances in national chef competition

The founder of a soon-to-open breakfast burrito restaurant in downtown Pasco has made it to the quarterfinals of a national chef competition and needs the help of fans to keep going. 

Maria Aguirre’s Casa de Maria is expected to open next month at the Pasco Specialty Kitchen, according to a release. She is hoping to win the Favorite Chef competition, an online competition that highlights talented home cooks, small-business owners and aspiring chefs across the country.  

Daily free votes and donation-based votes determine who advances, with all donations benefiting the James Beard Foundation, a culinary arts nonprofit. The top winner will receive $25,000 and a feature in Taste of Home magazine. 

“The support from my community means everything,” Aguirre said in a statement. “Winning would give Casa de Maria the funding to expand faster, buy better equipment, and bring even more fresh, delicious breakfast burritos to downtown Pasco.” 

Fans can vote for Aguirre once a day for free online at favchef.com/2025/maria-aguirre. Voters must log in to their Facebook account to tally their vote. Additional votes can be purchased for $1 each. The current round of voting ends at 7 p.m. on May 22.