THE LATE Lorenzo ?Larry? J. Cruz, innovator, restaurateur and journalist, set up over 30 restaurants and branches. Two of them honored his parents, E. Aguilar Cruz and Felicidad de Jesus?the highly successful Abe for the former, and Fely J for the latter.

Now, a year after his death, Cruz is receiving the honor he?d given to his parents, with the opening of a restaurant at Greenbelt 5 called Lorenzo?s Way.

Cruz, who started the café dining and culture with his Café Adriatico in the ?70s, was always churning out restaurant concepts that sometimes his daughter and successor, Lorna Cruz Ambas, would caution him.

In early September 2007, Cruz sent his daughter this text message: ?Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Without gambles, we would still be a mom-and-pop shop. My philosophy? If we lose it all, we would be just where we were when I started. With nothing. Your mom and I ate galunggong (poor man?s scudfish) as staple. So fear not, we have nothing to lose but my name.?

Standards

Cruz died on Feb. 4, 2008 of cancer, at age 66. Lorenzo?s Way is a restaurant that aims to reflect his exacting standards.

His food empire had an almost accidental start?when he and his wife Norma Amistoso offered fresh coffee, sandwiches, embotido and Chocolate Eh, and other heirloom recipes at their antique shop in Remedios Circle. It was named Café Adriatico in 1979, now a Malate landmark offering light Filipino cuisine in turn-of-the-century ambience.

As the restaurant business expanded, Cruz resigned from his post as director of Bureau of National and Foreign Information. He localized the bistro concept, initially serving simple but well-prepared meals in warm and casually elegant ambience.

Many dining outlets copied the ambiance and interior design?antique wooden pillars, antique lamps and furniture. He also set the trend in hosting glamorous, well-publicized restaurant openings.

Before the emergence of restaurants conceived by foreign chefs, Cruz was already offering the complete dining experience, the personal touch, and the pride of Filipiniana.

Professionals

Cruz married Amistoso early?at 16. Their four children were made to help out in the restaurants. It was his eldest, Lorna, who shared his passion for the business.

A UP business administration graduate, she started out as her father?s gofer and toiled her way up. She married marketing executive Francisco Ambas Jr., who did the sales and marketing of the LJC restaurants and Metro magazine, which her father founded.

Ambas points out that her father?s legacy to the company was hiring professionals who set the systems with his vision. After his demise, LJC operations still ran efficiently. The transition to a different corporate culture was smooth.

Ambas, now LJC president, works closely with Merle dela Peña, a major investor and Cruz?s longtime partner with whom he has two sons. She adds that the two families have remained close and her mother still supplies the famous Chocolate Eh, Abe?s chicken, longganiza and other food items.

?Before Dad died, he told us to trust each other. He was happy that we got along. Merle would let me decide,? says Ambas.

In Cruz?s last few months, they assessed the various businesses. The strongest brands are Café Adriatico, Abe (which specializes in Kapampangan dishes), Fely J and the most profitable, Café Havana, a restaurant-bar offering Cuban food. Plans are afoot to open branches of these strong brands.

Sophisticated

The decor of Lorenzo?s Way is suggestive of Cruz?s lifestyle. ?He was simple and humble, but had very sophisticated tastes in furniture and food. He likes the best of things. LJC restaurants are proud to be Filipino; they should be welcoming and family-oriented. All these things come together in the decor,? says designer Denise de Castro.

The interiors evoke Cruz?s homes in Malate and Pampanga?a soothing neutral palette, lots of wood, antiques, and from Pampanga, antique bricks.

Old brick panels serve as decorative bands and acoustic buffers. Partitions were recycled from stained windows of an old church. The narra tables with kamagong were made by Cruz?s old friend, Osmundo Esguerra. The walls are lined with paintings and sketches from Cruz?s collection.

Best of the best

Chef George Lizares, who hails from a prominent Negrenese clan, misses Cruz?s presence. ?It?s hard without him because he always thought of the menus and the concepts. He was very demanding, but we had the same taste buds. He liked lots of garlic, olive oil and North African food, music and cuisine.?

Given his Middle East stint, he tapped into the region to develop the restaurant cuisine.

The costillas de tenera guisada or braised beef short ribs has become the bestseller. Another hit, the king prawns creole stuffed with tomato base and capsicum, and creamy vegetables, is topped with hollandaise sauce to balance the spices. It is given a fresh spin with Italian risoni, a pasta that resembles rice.

Binacalao uses local fish stewed with tomatoes, chickpeas and olives, yet it tastes like the original Mediterranean salted codfish. Couscous, one of Cruz?s favorite dishes, is served with lamb and seafood and prepared with potent broths. Paella is generously mixed with saffron. The squid ink in the paella negra adds shine to the saffron rice.

Lizares cites special vegetarian dishes such as burger, made from vegetables and potatoes; crispy spring rolls generously packed with vegetables and mushrooms; teriyaki mushroom and tofu kebab.

Complementing the Mediterranean dishes are the classics from LJC Restaurants over the years: In The Mood Ballroom Dancing?s empanaditas, Solana?s callos or tripe and Chateaubriand steak, Prego?s Laguna cheese caprese, Ang Hang?s Singaporean-style curry with Dory fish fillet, Bistro Burgos? kare-kare, Camp Gourmet?s hickory spare ribs and Bollywood?s paneer or home-made cheese with tomato curry.

Also on the menu are current hits such as Café Havana?s baked saplicao, Bistro Remedios? pork knuckles, milkfish belly with fried glass noodles from Larry?s Bar, Abe?s pinakbet or vegetable stew, adobo-styled pigeon from Abe?s Farm in Pampanga, Café Adriatico?s beef tongue and Fely J?s signature jasmine rice with fried dilis (anchovies).

?You can have anything that?s not on the menu. Just tell the chef,? adds Lizares.

?I put his picture in the kitchen so we can be inspired. He motivated us,? he adds of his old boss. ?Who else will protect his tastes? Kami. When taste matters, we?d go the extra mile to make it worthwhile for the customer.?

Lorenzo?s way is at G/F, Greenbelt 5. Call 7290047.