Cheers!
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It was early evening in mid-September, and the bar had just opened. Just finishing desk work before going upstairs to change clothes, I heard voices outside, the door opening and what sounded like a large group of people stampeding to the bar. Almost instantly I heard a champagne cork pop, and the voices continued. Curiousity piqued, I stepped outside the office to see three men at the bar with a bottle of Moet rose. "We've been at the FIFA meeting in Marrakech," said one, "and only have 10 minutes, but we had to come here." Turns out he had a restaurant in Los Angeles and appreciated what he saw in Rick's. He handed me his card and I saw the name Dan Tana - a name I recognized, being somewhat familiar with the Hollywood restaurant scene. "You don't just have a restaurant," I said, "you have a legend." On that, I was offered a glass. They never sat down - looking at the place, taking photos...clearly happy to be here. And then, just as quickly, they ran to catch their plane. Dan Tana's card made me curious - it listed numerous business affiliations and a residence in Belgrade, an address in London and the contact information of Dan Tana's Restaurant in LA...so I Googled. What I got was a fascinating story of a young Yugoslavian soccer player who defected in Belgium in 1953. He eventually played in Hannover, Germany and then Montreal. After winning $5000 in a poker game, he and his compatriot Luca set out for Hollywood...he had been fascinated as a child with the movies - Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Laurel and Hardy. Just after arriving in Los Angeles Luca, carrying their winnings, left Dan outside while he ducked into a luxury shoe shop. To his horror, Dan saw a dark limo drive up and the men inside take Luca away. ....->
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.... Left with $10 and taking a dishwasher job at a pizza parlor, Dan ran into a Serb who recognized him from Montreal and arranged a semi-pro contract for him, which made him legal. English classes brought him introductions to the film studios...with his barrel-chest, moustache and slavic accent he soon was a sought-after character actor playing parts of gangsters and commies.He continued his efforts in building American soccer, and at the same time developed a wide circle of friends. When he opened his restaurant in 1964 he had an instant stream of clients. Dan Tana's quickly became an icon in Hollywood - an authentic, unpretentions place that doesn't trade on famous clients. Native New Yorkers marvel at the New York feel of the place...not Manhattan, but Bronx or New Jersey.
The menu, strong on steaks, hasn't changed in 41 years. Clearly the personality of Dan Tana is at the heart of the restaurant's success and in the early years he was at the door every night greeting his guests, who felt like they were dining in someone's living room. In the 70's the Tana family took up residence in England and helped rejeuvenate the Brentford Football Club. And then in the late 80's came a call to help bring his American and English soccer know-how to the Yugoslav Football Federation. The years of civil war and carnage in the Balkans set back these efforts considerably, culminating in Yugoslavia's exclusion in the 1994 World Cup...ironically in the U.S. Not to be daunted, Tana continued his work with the Federation and in 2002 was elected to the board of his old team Red Star Belgrade. Now he divides his time between London, Belgrade and Los Angeles. On that one week a month he's in town he can always be found standing at the bar of his legendary restaurant chatting with regulars and greeting customers as if he'd never been away. I was inspired by his story and wanted to share it with you. It's the American dream, and what has made our country unique - offering the chance to anyone with the grit, determination and work ethic willing to take the risks to reach their goal. |
Dan Tana's official web site
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