Drago Cvitanovich, 94.

Drago Cvitanovich, the founder of the famous New Orleans seafood restaurant that bears his name, departed us over the weekend. He was ninety-four, and had been ailing for several years. The last time he thought deeply about his restaurant, he must have come to many happy conclusions. Under the management of his wife Klara and his sons Tommy and Gerry, Drago's was a tremendous success. Not just according to the number of customers who dine there every day, but also because of the happiness his establishment brought to so many people. Following through in that direction was not easy. One only has to recall 1994, when after twenty-five years Drago's Restaurant was still struggling, like a new restaurant. It had a good following, a reputation for serving superior oysters, and a large menu of other local seafood. It also was unique in serving a fascinating array of Croatian (and , as they called it in the early days, Yugoslavian) cookery. [caption id="attachment_38364" align="alignleft" width="318"] Klara and Drago Cvitanovich.[/caption]The restaurant was among the first to open in what would shortly become the hottest area outside the French Quarter for restaurants, shops, bars and music clubs. It was a block away from the most popular upscale shopping mall in the entire metropolitan area. On the other hand, no small number of people wondered what kind of name "Drago" was. When they met Drago, they found a very friendly man who spoke in a thick accent. This put some people off, but something about him was engaging. Actually, Croatian restaurateurs were a major presence in New Orleans since the 1920s. Bozo's, Chris Steak House, Uglesich's, Mandich's, and Gentilich's were the best known, but there were many more. Croatian restaurateurs were plugged into a network of Croatian fishermen, who supplied unusually fine seafood to thir fellow countrymen. These were not the first forces that caused Croatians to move to America. The Nazis and the Communists figured into the story. Nor was it easy to pick up and move across the ocean. Drago wandered around the country before winding up first in Canada then Louisiana. He was lucky enough to have relatives who were already here. The Batinich family gave him his first restaurant job, in New Orleans. . And, when Drago's Restaurant went through a rough period, cousins in Biloxi who owned Mary Mahoney's stepped in. A mural on the wall of Drago's new dining room is an appreciation of that essential contribution. Back to the oysters. With Drago's talented hands doing the shucking, the oysters at his restaurant were the best. But even with such excellent food, in 1994 Drago's was barely afloat. Their son Tommy--who had taken over management of the restaurant some ten years before--knew that the moment of truth was at hand. They decided to give the business everything they had for one more year. Then, unless things didn't pick up, Drago's would close. But it didn't. A single, simple recipe changed everything. It involved oysters, of course. Five ingredients. One cooking step. It didn't even have a name at first. "Char-broiled oysters" more describes than names it, and not even accurately. (They're actually grilled.) Suddenly, every New Orleanian with a taste for oysters was at Drago's, devouring dozen after dozen char-broiled oysters. Drago's was saved! But other stuff happened that would prove even more salubrious. During the war in the Balkans, Klara and the rest of the Drago's family undertook a major effort in supplying emergency necessities and medical supplies to the millions of people who were affected in Bosnia and elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia. The bar at Drago's was piled high with the material. From that, Drago and his family saw what would become their mission. When Hurricane Katrina wiped out civilization in the New Orleans area, Drago's stepped in with box lunches. The price: free. Customers: anyone who could make it to Drago's, no questions asked. By the time Drago's ended this program, it had given away 77,000 free lunches. This from a one-unit, family-owned restaurant! Incredible! But standard procedure for the Cvitanoviches. This surely is what Drago had to be proud of in his last years. What a credential at the pearly gates! Not that he thought about it that way. He and his family are there not just to put out a memorable plate of food, but to be a real part of the community. And the community pays him back by making Drago's the essential seafood restaurant in the New Orleans area and beyond. We will not again see his like. Or his smile, his eyebrows, or his unmistakable friendliness.