Regional Mexican Restaurant Coming to Pritzlaff Building
Aperitivo owners plan Las Gardenias, which will offer Guadalajaran dishes
Site of future Las Gardenias, 305 N. Plankinton Ave. Photo taken Feb. 29, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Aperitivo owner Richard Kerhin and his wife, Patricia Barrera-Kerhin, are bringing a second restaurant to the Pritzlaff Building.
This time the focus will be on regional Mexican cuisine.
Drawing inspiration from Barrera-Kerhin’s upbringing in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the restaurant, Las Gardenias, will highlight lesser-known dishes such as tortas ahogadas (a specialty sandwich) and albondigas (a meatball dish), along with a selection of liquors and agave-based spirits from various regions in Mexico.
The concept aims to expand the city’s options for authentic Mexican cuisine, while also providing a welcoming and approachable dining experience for all, the couple said.
“We don’t want to be too outside the norm,” Kerhin said. “But at the same time, there are a lot of dishes that, even though they may sound different, they have an instant sort of homey familiarity to them.”
“The focus will be on quality ingredients and proper preparation of these dishes, as well,” he added. “We just want to try to bring a little bit of artfulness to the plate.”
Barrera-Kerhin said she’s particularly excited to share her tortas ahogadas, which are filled with pork carnitas and refried beans and doused in a sauce made with chili de árbol prior to serving. Las Gardenias will offer several varieties of the dish, a Guadalajaran specialty, including spicy, medium and mild versions, as well as those with less sauce.
The restaurant will also serve Guadalajaran stewed pork, crispy tacos dorados, burritos, guacamole and more, as well as a meal for four, which might include pozole with taquitos and an assortment of toppings.
Kerhin said he’ll handle bar operations while Barrera-Kerhin heads up the kitchen, where she’ll lend her expertise and make final decisions on flavors, recipes and menu items. But she’ll also have some input behind the bar.
“There is five spirits that I would love to have,” said Barrera-Kerhin, who listed bacanora, hailing from Sonora, sotol from northern Mexico, mezcal from south and central Mexico and raicilla, which comes from Jalisco and tequila, also from Jalisco, among her top picks for the restaurant.
Kerhin added that, between agave-based spirits and other Mexican liquors, the restaurant will be spoiled for choice when its comes to mixology. “There’s probably an endless list of ingredients that we could make drinks with,” he said.
Las Gardenias will offer a list of craft cocktails, including margaritas, along with an assortment of Mexican craft beer, which Kerhin said has been gaining momentum throughout the country.
“The craft beer movement is growing in Mexico now, as well,” he said. “So it’ll be interesting to see between now and then what we can source.”
Renovations are already in progress within the restaurant space, located at 305 N. Plankinton Ave., on the southeast corner of the Pritzlaff Building. Aperitivo will remain, a couple of spaces to the north.
The owners said they haven’t made any final decisions regarding the look and feel of the space, but plan to capitalize on its plentiful natural light, as well as the original details of the Cream City brick building.
Kerhin estimated that the completed restaurant will be able to accommodate approximately 70 diners, including bar seating, with up to an additional 40 on the outdoor patio.
If all goes well, the restaurant is expected to open in August or September.
The idea for Las Gardenias first arose when building owner Kendall Breunig reached out to Kerhin about the possibility of activating the space, which had been vacant for several years.
The new restaurant comes in the wake of several new developments in the area including Foxtown Landing, a brewery, dog park and new riverwalk segment proposed for a riverfront site along N. Plankinton Ave.
Breunig, a partner in the Mexican restaurant, also co-owns Aperitivo with Kerhin.
Kerhin and Barrera-Kerhin also operate Richard’s Cafe, located at 700 W. Virginia St., in The Tannery Complex. Kerhin opened Aperitivo, a cafe named for an Italian afterwork tradition, in 2020.
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