Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Three of the four owners of the Los Gatos Bar and Grill (from left) Casey Connelly, Jason Farwell and Michael Lowney, stand on the new outdoor dining deck.

Bar and Grill ambience, food are fun and festive

By Suzanne Cristallo

Claiming their theme and food are "sexy, not serious," four Los Gatos bachelors bought the Los Gatos Bar and Grill last May and are gradually making changes in the menu and decor that shout fun in place of fine dining.

"We're bringing new, fresh energy into Los Gatos," says manager Michael Lowney, 33, who shares ownership with partners Casey Connelly, 27, Shann Brassfield, 30, and Jason Farwell, 29.

Located upstairs next to Mountain Charlie's on N. Santa Cruz Avenue, the restaurant is designed to be visually stimulating and entertaining. It sports more than 20 vintage chandeliers, lots of Sinatra and swing on the jukebox, two newly felted, eight-foot pool tables placed under a sky mural reminiscent of Caesar's Palace, throw rugs, antique couches, a soon-to-be-installed 315-gallon reef tank behind the back bar and another two-sided, 400-gallon salt water tank filled with exotic fish.

The piece de resistance will be ready by mid-August: a back deck with a view of the mountains to the west where diners may enjoy food and bar service in a Mediterranean atmosphere complete with palm trees, umbrellas, shutters, twinkle lights and bougainvilla. "We're into effects here," says Lowney with a smile. "Can you tell?"

"We're also more of a lounge," he adds. "In the '80s, bars, cafes and grills were the 'in thing.' Now it's lounges." To go along with the atmosphere, the menu created by Martin Correa, who also was chef for previous owner Mark Hacker, is "rock & roll." That means the hungry might find anything from sushi to turkey burgers to appease their palates.

"Martin stayed on with us so he could do the menu he's always wanted to do," Lowney notes. The chef's creations include: jambalaya--sauteed rock shrimp with chicken and sausage, bell peppers and marinara sauce over fettucine; ahi burger--grilled tuna with sesame salad and cucumber-chili dipping sauce; nicoise salad; Island Pizza with Canadian bacon, mozzarella cheese, red onions, pineapple and jalapeño peppers; and Dijon lavender pork chop.

While Lowney may be known to locals as a result of his six years as C.B. Hannegan's restaurant manager, he also might be familiar from his years of work with American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco or from the modeling he's done for TV and print commercials.

Recently, he spent time traveling in Greece, Egypt, Australia and Mexico, much of it on motorcycle. "On my 30th birthday," he says, "I bleached my hair blonde and drove to Cabo." It was through those travels that he gathered the ideas now taking shape in his new restaurant. Since he's doing all of the painting, he says it may be six months before everything is complete.

Meanwhile, patrons can enjoy the deck on hot summer evenings "and even barhop without leaving the second floor," Lowney says, referring to neighboring Mountain Charlie's.

Los Gatos Bar and Grill, 15 1/2 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos. Open Mon.-Thu. 5-11 p.m., Fri. 4 p.m.-1 a.m., Sat. 11:30 a.m.- 1 a.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. 399-5424.

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