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View Restaurant Lozano's menu here
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Restaurant: Restaurant Lozano
Where: N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre
Phone: (626) 355-5805
Reservations: Accepted
Cocktails: Yes
Service: Full wait service
Atmosphere: Casual Elegant
Outdoor Dining: Yes
Credit Cards: MC, Visa, American Express,
Debit w/logo
Kid’s Menu: No
Senior Discount: No
Food to Go: No
Catering Menu: Yes |
Salad at Lozano |
Brisket Dinner |
Lew at dedication of Weeping Wall Memorial,
April 1999 |
Photo of a photo of Lew's work - Not even close
to representative quality |
Photo of a photo of Lew's work - Not even close
to representative quality |
Photo of a photo of Lew's work - Not even close
to representative quality |
Tabletop granite water sculpture, flash changes
effect quite a bit stop by and see the real thing |
Tabletop granite water sculpture, flash changes
effect quite a bit stop by and see the real thing |
Photo of a photo of Lew's work - Not even close
to representative quality |
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A Look At San
Gabriel Valley Restaurants by SanGabrielValleyMenus.com
Restaurant Lozano Showcases an Old Friend, Lew
Watanabe
by Bill Coburn
One of the first
restaurant spotlights I ever did, back in December, 2003, featured Restaurant
Lozano in Sierra Madre. At the time, I told you about the addition of cocktail
service, and discussed a coconut shrimp appetizer, the bruschetta appetizer, and
one of the best New York steaks I’ve ever eaten. You can still find that
spotlight at DotComDining.com.
I stopped by last night
and had a glass of a very nice “House Select” Merlot along with a green salad
and the Brisket dinner with their delicious house steak sauce, served with
mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables, and again, it was one of the best
briskets I’ve ever had, if not the best. It was a wonderful dinner, and the
service was impeccable. One thing that struck me was that my waiter, Joel, who
has been there for at least a couple years now, came over during the meal and
said “Pardon me, how’s everything tasting?” or something to that effect. The
part that got me was the “Pardon me” part. I can be having dinner with the
family and in the middle of a conversation, the server will come over and
interrupt the conversation to say “everything okay?” Joel, on the other hand,
recognized that even though I was eating alone, and not speaking to anyone, he
was interrupting my dinner, and excused himself for doing so. Don’t know why
that struck me, but it did.
But the purpose of this
column is not really to discuss my meal last night, but to let you know about an
ongoing very special event, which will be made even more special on November 19th.
Restaurant Lozano is
known for showcasing the work of artists, usually local artists, on the walls.
The art is available for sale, and changes on a regular basis. Last night, when
I went in, I noticed that the walls were adorned with photos of work done by Lew
Watanabe, a local landscaper who frequently incorporates granite sculptures and
water sculptures into his work. In this age of stress, he has created settings
for meditation and reflection, serenity and peace. His work literally lives at
Descanso Gardens, Sierra Madre School, and Sierra Madre Memorial Park, and in
the garden of the Frederick Weisman Museum on the Pepperdine campus in Malibu,
to name a few.
Lew Watanabe is an
integral part of what I fell in love with about Sierra Madre. Lew was always
there as a volunteer, to help any organization, whenever they needed him, and he
didn’t seek the limelight. He did the landscaping at Kersting Court, the main
square in town, without a big deal. He helped make sure there was a Christmas
tree there each year, as well. He contributed in one way, shape, or form, to
most of the non-profits in Sierra Madre. He was named Citizen of the Year in
1995. And rest assured, the few things I’m mentioning here, are a pittance in
comparison to all that Lew has done for the City of Sierra Madre and its
residents. I also feel fairly sure that there are many things he has done
outside the city that we’ve heard nothing about. That’s just his nature.
In 1931, Japanese
families in Sierra Madre built a Japanese garden on the grounds of the new
elementary school. With two Japanese lanterns, a bonsai tree, a cement bridge
and a koi pond, the garden was a gesture of goodwill to the community that had
been their home for decades. The garden was vandalized in 1945, the year World
War II ended and many Japanese families returned home from incarceration in
government internment camps. In 1995, Lew was instrumental in making the dream
of a group of sixth-graders come true as he and his employees helped them to
restore it.
In April, 1999, the
quite, moving, Weeping Wall Memorial was dedicated in Memorial Park in Sierra
Madre, as a remembrance of those who served our country and gave their lives.
The plaque reads: “Dedicated to all the armed forces veterans of Sierra
Madre…who served our country in peace and war…who helped preserve peace and
freedom for our city, country and the world. The wall weeps not with sorrow…but
with pride. God bless them all”
On March 4 2003, Lew fell
from a ladder while working on a project. He suffered a concussion, and
cervical compression of the spine, which caused him to lose the use of his
limbs. On March 20th, after swelling had subsided sufficiently to
allow surgery, he underwent a procedure to help restore the use of his limbs.
In the time since, he has been through a tremendous amount of physical therapy,
and Lew has surpassed
every medical expectation and recovered to a remarkable extent. With the help of
friends, and with the love of his wife Joyce, plus daily physical therapy,
acupuncture with electrical stimulation and deep tissue massage, Watanabe has
regained range of-motion and some fine muscle skills and is back to work on
landscape projects.
March 4, 2003, could have
been the blackest day in Lew’s life. But Lew and his wife Joyce will tell you
that it was the beginning of a series of miracles. That day, it didn't look as
though Lew would make it. Today, he continues to recover. Each day, he gains
more strength, greater mobility and flexibility. The Lew Watanabe Benevolent
Trust was established, and has purchased a van to increase Lew's mobility and
paid utility bills and other cost-of-living expenses. But these expenses will
continue for the rest of his life.
Which brings us back to
Lozano’s. Kathy Childs of Sierra Madre heard that Lew had mentioned that many
of the landscaping works he had created were not being manicured as Lew would
like. She, with some talented photographers, visited many of these works, and
while they are not manicured as Lew would like, she felt that nature adores his
work, and the plants that frame his stone pieces are magnificent. She has
published a book featuring the works of those photographers, a biography of the
artist, and a step by step look at the creation process of one of his works.
On Saturday, November 19th,
as part of the Dickens Village festivities that ring in the Holiday Season in
Sierra Madre (sledding on “snow”, mule and carriage rides, holiday open houses
at local merchants, Christmas tree lighting, and Santa’s arrival), there will be
a book signing to benefit Lew Watanabe and help pay for continuing costs of his
care. The community has rallied around him, as he so often helped it and you
are invited to help out, too. Beautifully framed photos of his works will be
available for sale, and, remarkably, so will the granite works for which Lew is
so well known. He now makes table-top granite water sculptures, and you can own
one, or give one as a Christmas present (this is ongoing, you can stop by now
and purchase a photo or a water sculpture).
The small black and white
pictures with this article will probably not give you an idea of what will be
available, so visit Dot Com Dining to see larger full color pictures of some of
the prints available.
Dickens Village day in
Sierra Madre is always a kick. This year, it’s a little more special, with the
opportunity to view the remarkable work of a remarkable artist, and an
inspirational human being.
Bill Coburn is owner of
SanGabrielValleyMenus.com, a restaurant website featuring more than 140
restaurant’s menus, as well as downloadable coupons. He has nearly 20 years
experience in the restaurant business, and has been eating for much longer than
that. |
