Dammit... Larry J. Cruz is dead...

Dammit... Larry J. Cruz is dead...

For the unsophisticated pedestrian, Lorenzo "Larry" J. Cruz is the universal connoisseur best known as the cultural visionary who conceptualized, owned, operated several theme restuarants around Metro Manila, particularly in the Malate district, which is considered by many as the hub of Manila's literati and bourgois.

There was a time when I visited Cafe Adriatico up to four nights on a single week. Sneaking out late at night (as I was then only a teen-ager) with my notebook in hand (no PDA's back then, and laptops were a huge luxury), wearing shorts, top-siders (en vogue back then), to drive to Cafe Adriatico for a smoke and a cappuccino to scribble whatever verse streamed into my head. The waiters knew me by name, knew my drinks based on the company I had along, and even chatted me up from time to time. Heck, I even watched a few waiters climb from newbie, to manager... (a holler out to Domeng, Chris and Edwin, who is now a staple in also LJC-owned Cafe Havana)

Back then (around 1991), knowing the difference between an espresso, a cappuccino, and a latte meant you had an unofficial right to raise your nose a bit and wave off your commoner colleagues back into their Nescafe-stained cups and corners. The funny thing was, I was only 18. A subtly snot-nosed 18 year-old, who loved the taste of his coffee as much as the chattering sounds and slightly musty smell of Pledge on old wood permeating in the cafe...

But man, Cafe Ad' (as I refer to "Cafe Adriatico Premiere" abrieviatedly) made my neurons go totally wild and absa-tively alive... maybe it was something in the cappuccino... i don't know... But i wrote some of my best poems in there with that cappuccino in front of me steaming away...

I loved the place so much, that I always half-hoped that LJC (as Larry Cruz is usually referred to as) would drop by, and I would thank him for putting a place that has brought so much to my life. From time to time when the wife and I would drop in (more and more seldomly nowadays since I now live in QC), I would still hope a somehow of running into the cultural icon that was Larry J. Cruz.

Sadly, I never have. And now, I never will.

But for what it's worth... Thanks, Larry (can I call you "Larry", sir?)... Many hours and nights of my most important and formative years were spent in your cafe. I raise my cup to you, sir.

Mr. Lorenzo "Larry" J. Cruz passed away in Washington, last February 4, 2008.

Cafe Adriatico photo from smarttravelasia.com, by Vijay Verghese