Keeping It Fresh! No Canned Posole Here.

770 KKOB & El Pinto Restaurant Cans the Canned Posole Edict & Busts the Bizcochito Ban

(11/12/08) This morning the ABQ Journal's Olivier Uyttebrouck reported that an 84-year-old tradition at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Albuquerque honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe was being stopped by the City’s Environmental Health Department. Officials revealed after all these years that health regulations mean that the church can no longer serve homemade traditional holiday foods as part of the celebration. No more Posole unless it’s the canned variety. No more delicious homemade Official State Cookies. The Bizcochitos from home are banned, and on and on and on.

Incensed by this tasteless situation afternoon 770 KKOB talk host Jim Villanucci contacted Jim Garcia, El Pinto Restaurant Director of Operations to see how this wrong could be overcome. Garcia talked with El Pinto owner John Thomas and they agreed to supply all the Posole, Bizcachitos, Tortillas, and any other needs to make the St. Francis Celebration delicious and agreeable. El Pinto’s kitchens comply with health regulations and their food is marvelous.

Updated - 8pm

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church was faced with the prospect of ditching plans to make a home cooked meal for more than 400 parishioners at its annual celebration honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. Celebrating the holidays with fake – or canned – posole and store bought bizcochitos is not proper New Mexico etiquette.

“We are committed to being a community partner,” said El Pinto co-owner John Thomas. “We are always eager to support organizations in our community because these people are our neighbors.”

The parish had planned to have a home cooked meal served but the City of Albuquerque health inspector nixed the idea. “No worries now,” says Thomas. “The food will be fresh and will exceed City standards.

The festival will follow a procession honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 14, and is open to the public.

Muchas Gracias El Pinto.