The best restaurants and restaurateurs in Mexico according to CANIRAC

Restaurants inspire the best stories. How many recounts from real life, cinema, literature, and theater happen at a set table with a waiter bringing delicacies on their trays? In restaurants, we talk about love, reconcile, sing Las Mañanitas, and close deals. With their cloth or paper napkins, we have wiped our tears, hidden a laugh, and cleaned the drops of our joy. Indeed, in a place with the right atmosphere and good cuisine, our communication bonds are lubricated. The National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry and Seasoned Foods (CANIRAC) knows this, and to ensure that we continuously eat and drink better in Mexico, have unparalleled service, and elevate quality standards, for 31 years it has selected and awarded the best in the industry, granting the Restaurant Merit Award. In this context, a week ago, the awards for the 2022 edition were presented at the Ex Convento de San Hipólito. Accompanied by the splendid Arab cuisine of Al-Andalus, entrepreneurs, chefs, and restaurateurs applauded and celebrated the winning traditional cook, the chef, sommelier, and pastry chef of the year, as well as the one who led restaurant innovation.Although this recognition designed by Mexican artist Miguel Michel was received by the hands of their leaders and representatives, the Restaurant Merit Award also celebrates those who are part of the value chain: from the producers of the sea and the field to the waiters, busboys, and those who live off the industry of feeding others. “Behind every restaurant, there is a commitment to Mexico and its people, to the productive activities of the country, and to the hospitality of Mexicans. This commitment motivates the pursuit of culinary excellence through innovation, dedication, and passion for gastronomy. These are elements taken into account to be candidates for the Restaurant Merit Award,” said Germán González, national president of CANIRAC.Some of the winners of the 2022 edition included Las Rosas restaurant in Oaxaca, for the award for the preservation and knowledge of Mexican gastronomy; Micaela, Mar y Leña restaurant in Yucatán, for enhancing national cuisine; Las Mañanitas for offering the best food in a hotel, and Al-Andalus for its excellent foreign cuisine. As for the outstanding individuals, Irving Quiroz was recognized as baker of the year; chef Óscar Alejandro Cortázar Cuilty of La Cocinería won as young talent, and Elena Reygadas was crowned best chef of the year. Additionally, the most important award of the gala recognized the career in the industry of Martha Muti de Malazzo and Juan Carlos Malazzo, founders of Fonda Argentina and Bodega Malazzo. Regarding the recognitions given in the beverage sector, Handshake and its mixologist José Eduardo Olivas earned another medal this year for their speakeasy, which has garnered much attention. The sommelier of the year was the masterful Sandra Fernández, and Jennifer Borrego won the barista of the year award for her impeccable work at DegasCafé.This edition of the Restaurant Merit Award 2022 was a reflection of a year full of post-pandemic challenges, the reactivation of a sector, and the recognition of several female faces who have shown a different perspective in an industry of growing quality.