On April 23, 1969, Oliva Garizurieta and Jesús Briz began a project that would become a gastronomic icon: El Cardenal. This restaurant has not only conquered the most demanding palates with its exquisite Mexican food, but it has also become a meeting point for figures from the artistic, cultural and political spheres.
A select audience celebrated the anniversary last night at the Alameda branch, where some of the successors and prominent personalities, including Miguel Conde, who defines himself as a culinary nomad
shared anecdotes and memories about this emblematic space that produces its own inputs.
My father was originally from Michoacán, and my mother, from Veracruz. The first restaurant they opened was next to the National Palace, on Moneda Street.
Marcela Briz explained in an interview with The Conference.
By chance, in 1984 they had to change their headquarters to Palma 23 and, later, another branch was opened in Alameda; From there, we managed to expand.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. the commemorative ceremony began in which Tito Briz, Marcela’s brother, recognized the effort and commitment of so many people to keep El Cardenal in force.
Nearly 900 workers provide the six restaurants with their main supplies and the services necessary for their operation. Although the successes have helped us move forward, I am sure that the mistakes have been our greatest learning
he added.
“This memorable occasion constitutes the best opportunity to express that fair and necessary gratitude, but it also seems to me to be an unbeatable moment to recognize in a special way those who passionately embraced this project from the earliest years.
“For more than 50 years, we have been nixtamalizing corn, producing high-quality tortillas, as well as milk and its derivatives, cream, butter and cheese, as well as our own chocolate.
“To achieve this ‘semi-manual’ process, a dairy farm with excellent infrastructure was installed and small mechanical units were designed so that each restaurant could cook its corn and grind its own nixtamal. Without those instruments, it would hardly have been possible to maintain those products.”
The writer and academic Margo Glantz, the historian and journalist Ángeles González Gamio and the archaeologist and anthropologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma were some of the special guests who attended the culinary gala.
▲ A select audience celebrated the anniversary at the Alameda branch. Oliva Garizurieta and her husband, Jesús Briz, started the project that is now a gastronomic icon.Photo Yazmín Ortega Cortés
Since this restaurant started, I used to visit it with my colleagues. I remember that it was located one block from the Templo Mayor. I met the members of the family that ran the store and then I was extremely pleased when they began to expand the business.
Matos Moctezuma commented to this newspaper.
“I am a frequent customer, I love dry noodles and shaken fish. However, this place has had a very unique touch, because in addition to the gastronomic experience it has also offered another type of food: literature.
“We have presented several books in this branch; In fact, Ángeles González Gamio wrote a masterful chronicle in which she mentions all the protagonists who witnessed the birth of this establishment that is named after a beautiful bird.
Gastronomy is culture. The administrators of El Cardenal have preserved many traditional Mexican dishes from various regions; This is very important because they continue to nourish the wide range of Mexican cuisine.
he concluded.
Marcela Briz pointed out that a representative menu will be prepared based on escamoles, dry noodles, shrimp taquito, mole and corn bread with cream, which will cost 450 pesos.
García Márquez, promoter of the southern branch
One of the most representative anecdotes that Briz recalled refers to when Gabriel García Márquez, Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1982, inaugurated the San Ángel headquarters in 2011.
He lived in the south of the city and insisted that there be a Cardinal in that area. He then accompanied the entire process until we finally managed to install it and he did us the honor of inaugurating it together with his wife, Mercedes Barcha. That is one of the most fabulous memories we have.
In addition to the Alameda branch, located on Avenida Juárez 70, in the Hilton hotel, Colonia Centro, and the one on Avenida de la Paz 32, Colonia San Ángel, El Cardenal has four other branches: Palma 23, also located in the heart of the Mexican capital; Paseo de Las Palmas 215, corner Monte Camerún, Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood; Dakota 95, Napoles neighborhood, and Marconi 2, local 1, Historic Center neighborhood.