More than 50 years ago, when Pozuelo de Alarcón seemed more like a remote town than a peripheral municipality of Madrid, the couple formed by Capitulina Pérez and Ignacio Cabello came up with the idea of renting a huge winery. The place was in the middle of the almost uninhabited Pozoleño field, on the still unpaved street of the Fuente de la Salud, to distribute sobaos pasiegos brought from Asturias and Cantabria. A short time later, as they had plenty of space left over in the place, they included in their offer wines from Montilla Moriles to sell in bulk, but also to put a cup to those thirsty throats that could not find another place nearby to cool off, after a long day of rural work. So they gradually expanded their list of products, including fruits and vegetables brought from all over Spain, until one day 'Capi' had the brilliant idea of setting up a business to sell meals.

Ignacio Cabello, founder of the restaurant Asador Bodega la Salud, in its beginnings.B.L.S.

"My father was born in Toledo and my mother in León. However, they met in a small Asturian town where they had arrived as children. As teenagers they met at a dance and in 1971 they married. As my father was a fruit transporter and came to this area a lot, he proposed to my mother that they come to live in Pozuelo," says Juan Carlos, the youngest of the five children that the marriage had. He is currently in charge of the Bodega la Salud, the grill that became that store that, at first, was founded only to sell biscuits.

Juan Carlos Cabello, heir of Bodega la Salud, restaurant in Pozuelo.J.BARBANCHO

"In the 70s, when the town began to urbanize, many workers began to look for food and my mother came up with the idea of selling menus of the day. Aware of its gastronomic qualities, my father decided to support it and built a grill to improve the menu, with which the store became definitely a restaurant. Thus, and without hotel knowledge, this establishment that was created from nothing, was consolidated to become one of the favorite places of different people who passed the vicinity. "

The restaurant bar with the old wine barrels of Montilla Moriles.J. BARBANCHO

And, without thinking, the location that the couple had chosen for their business turned out to be strategic. The residents of the chalets and houses that began to be urbanized in the area, the merchants who visited the road of the Huertas, and the proximity to the inaugurated Studios of Prado del Rey -when the color television broadcasts began- made celebrities, politicians, workers, field workers and the neighbors of the region converge almost simultaneously in the dining room. "Before he died, my father told me that what helped the most to publicize the restaurant was word of mouth. First came those who worked nearby. Also those who stocked up on fruits and vegetables for their businesses, until the most popular characters of the news and entertainment programs began to gather around our tables, looking for a meeting place close to the studios, "adds Juan.

Interior appearance of the Retaurante Asador la Bodega la Salud in the 80s.B.L.S.

This is how in the mid-70s La Bodega became a gastronomic reference of the growing northwest of Madrid. Numerous were the times that characters of the stature of Julio Iglesias, La Chunga, Felipe González, King Juan Carlos accompanied by the then Prince Felipe, or the most prominent figures of Madrid and Atleti visited them. Even other important exponents of sport such as Carlos Sainz – father and son – became regulars, according to the youngest of the heirs of Ignacio and 'Capi'.

The wine barrels of Montilla Moriles that were sold before being a restaurant.B.L.S.

"My father was a very peasant person. He always said he liked to be called a tasquero. I think that the good vibes he had with some celebrities who frequented the grill arose more for its simplicity and spontaneity than anything else. For example, several of them met without planning on this site because they liked how they were received. Many times the after-dinner and gatherings became endless and festive. Just to name one example, countless were the occasions in which Lola Flores began to sing and dance to celebrate with her friends.

Thus, for 50 years, the Bodega la Salud has remained in force. Its street was renamed Jesús Gil González and is now well paved. The food of 'Capi' is still recognized for its flavor, and on the grill, the same one that was raised five decades ago, its famous cuts of meat are still prepared.

Juan Carlos Cabello in front of the restaurant founded by his parents.J. BARBANCHO

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