Dan Tana, Legendary Restaurateur, Dies at 90

Dan Tana, who once owned the legendary eatery that still bears his name, has died at 90.

Dan Tana's announced Saturday on Facebook, "The great Dan Tana has passed on. We all know that he created a very magical place. Our beloved little yellow house will forever feel his presence."

Tana, a soccer star in the former Yugoslavia in his youth, emigrated to the U.S. and worked first for La Scala and the Villa Capri in the '50s, which inspired him to launch his own restaurant. By then, he had invaluable experience and had incredible stories of serving everyone from Marilyn Monroe to James Dean to the Rat Pack.

Dan Tana's was founded in 1964, becoming by the end of the decade the preferred eatery for Hollywood folk seeking an unpretentious place to unwind and dine on a perfect steak.

Among the famous names who helped make its reputation: John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Elton John, Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt, Dabney Coleman, Harry Dean Stanton and especially Johnny Carson.

The place inspired loyalty among employees, including Mike Gotovac, who worked there more than 50 years, before dying of COVID in 2020.

Dan Tana's was so popular that Robert Urich's character on the TV series "Vega$" (1978-1981) was named "Dan Tanna" in Tana's honor.

When the structure burned in 1980, it was his celebrity friendships that helped Tana re-open quickly.

In 2009, Tana sold his business to Mihajlo Perenčević and his then wife Sonja, the latter of whom owns it to this day.

"This man is a legend," the restaurant's Facebook account ended its announcement, "and as you know, a legend never dies."