That great whoosh you heard up in the northern midwest was caused by the flood of Madisonians making way last weekend to the Cardinal returning in full splendor: with a face lift and with our very own Ricardo Gonzalez back at the helm. If you haven’t done so already,  check out this very good review by Susan Kepecs in the Isthmus

This weekend the Cardinal Bar, with Gonzalez back at the helm, is reborn. Ochun, orisha of love, rejoices, dancing voluptuously. You can, too. The Cardinal’s gala opening lasts all weekend long, from Oct. 8 through 11.

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Gonzalez is picking up right where he left off. Before the sale he’d been planning the snazzy new wooden dance floor you’ll find this weekend. It’s larger than you’ll remember. The old DJ booth was built when it took crates of LPs to do a night. Now all that’s needed is a laptop, so the booth’s been shrunk. The room’s ready for the 21st century with Dantech Systems’ state-of-the-art sound system and improved acoustics. The bar’s arts and crafts details have been lovingly restored.

But it’s not just physical attributes that make the Cardinal sexy. Generations of Madisonians have been lured by the bar’s glammy history, not to mention its punchy drinks.