Mr. Tamale ‘Eats Crow,’ Settles Suit Over Service Dog’s Ejection

A legal dogfight between an Encino restaurant owner and a disabled West Hills woman who claimed that he unlawfully barred her licensed service dog from his gourmet tamale restaurant ended Saturday with the owner eating crow instead of tamales.

The woman, Sandy Oseas, 47, accompanied by her attorney, Gloria Allred, and her dog Landmark, a 65-pound poodle, gathered outside Mr. Tamale’s Gourmet Mexicatessen to announce a settlement to the lawsuit they filed July 23 against the owner, Louis Michael Tamale.

Allred said the settlement stipulated that Tamale apologize for not letting Oseas and Landmark inside the restaurant during an Encino Chamber of Commerce meeting June 10.

At that time, Allred said, Tamale disregarded Oceas’ explanation that Landmark was licensed by the City of Los Angeles to assist her. Oseas, the victim of a spinal injury, has neurological difficulties, limited use of her legs and balance problems. Landmark helps her up stairs, pulls her wheelchair and assists her in and out of her van, she said.

But Tamale ignored Oseas’ explanation, Allred said, and told her, “I don’t care what the law says. I don’t want any dogs here with my tamales. I am not going to have a dog in my place.”

Besides the apology, Allred said, Tamale agreed to allow service and guide dogs into his restaurant. He also agreed to donate 50 cents for each tamale he sells in September to a group that trains service and guide dogs, or to hold a tamale party for 100 disabled people and their dogs.

“This agreement should keep blind, disabled or hearing-impaired people from suffering the same indignities I have,” said Oseas.

The agreement also noted that Tamale has withdrawn his threat to file a malicious prosecution complaint against Allred, along with charges that she ruined his business with publicity surrounding the lawsuit.

“Ms. Oseas and I are elated that our lawsuit has achieved a successful and important result, and that Ms. Oseas has been completely vindicated,” Allred said.

Despite the settlement, Tamale, 44, stayed inside his restaurant and did not publicly shake Oseas’ hand or Landmark’s paw.

Dressed in red from head to toe, Tamale later said he felt forced to make the agreement in order to protect his business future.

“I did everything I could to eat crow,” he said. “I didn’t like the idea . . . I had to agree, or it was curtains. . . . I had no idea that a statement like ‘dogs and tamales don’t mix’ would cause such a row.”

Tamale also disregarded one of the agreement statements, and said that the publicity forced him to close his restaurant last week. “My investors took their money out,” he said. “They told me you can’t have anyone with the stature of Gloria Allred chasing you down the street.”

A noted feminist attorney, Allred has been involved in several lawsuits alleging bias against restaurant patrons and others.

Tamale said he hopes to open the restaurant at another location later this year and that he had contracted with a “multinational corporation” to manufacture and distribute his tamales in markets around the country during the coming year.

He did say he wants to hold a tamale party for Oseas and disabled people. “That would be fun,” he said.