If Archie Casbarian hadn't come along when he did, and if he hadn't borne a passing resemblance to Count Arnaud Cazenave, and if he wasn't of Armenian heritage, Arnaud's would very likely not exist today.

But Arnaud's is there, thriving, one of the grandest of the grand dining establishments of the French Quarter, with a style and cuisine so distinctive that nobody who dines there could doubt that he's in New Orleans.

Archie Casbarian, however, has left his restaurant. The urbane, Egypt-born hotelier and restaurateur died Saturday, January 10 in a Metairie hospice after a painful fight with esophageal cancer. He was 72.

After attending British schools in Egypt (he had no trace of an accent), he had distinguished career managing luxury hotels in Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and the United States. Archie turned up in New Orleans as the general manager of the Royal Orleans and the Royal Sonesta hotels in the 1970s. Everywhere he went, having a spectacular restaurant on the property was essential in his plan for the hotel.

He had his eye on Arnaud's for a long time. It was across the street from the Sonesta, an enormous property with a glowing history and a very distressing present. In the late 1970s, Arnaud's was barely operating. He was one of many who attempted to persuade the Count's daughter, Germaine Cazenave Wells, to sell the restaurant. What made Archie successful was no doubt his savoir-faire, but his background helped, to. Germaine, infamous for her disdain for people of nearly every ethnicity, had nothing on Armenians. Especially this one, who sat there smoking a cigar, just like her father did, and with a smile that reminded her of her dad.

Archie performed a thorough, inspired restoration of the badly-maintained dining rooms, and opened for business on February 28, 1978. He brought in a talented French chef to rework many of the dishes on Arnaud's interminable menu. Those who remembered the restaurant's glory years were pleased to find a menu full of the old classics, but better than they'd ever been made before.

It was years and millions of dollars before the entire restaurant was back in usable shape. Then the recession of the early 1980s came, and threatened Archie's investment. He came up with an idea that became legendary in the restaurant industry. He sold tables in the restaurant, along with long-term credits for dining there, for $10,000 each. The gambit saved Arnaud's, and the plaques announcing whose table was whose are still on the walls.

I knew Archie Casbarian well, and dined with him many times over the years. Talking with him always kept one a little off balance. He had a way of being jaded and creative at the same time. Cynical and positive, fatalistic and full of plans and ideas. He'd seen it all before, but saw new possibilities. On top of that, he was thoroughly knowledgeable about the hospitality business.

His restaurant reflected his own sparkling personal style. He was well-dressed and sophisticated, a delightful conversationalist who loved a good story, whether he heard it or told it. He also loved good cigars, martinis, wines and food.

Arnaud's was his masterpiece. It may be the finest restoration of an old restaurant in the annals of the business, performed with magnificent taste and a clear understanding of Arnaud's historical significance.

Archie is survived by his wife Jane, his son Archie Jr. and daughter Katy. All have long been active in the restaurant, whose continuation is assured. Archie set a stringent standard for Arnaud's, one that will carry the Bienville Street landmark forward into its second century and beyond. He has known few peers in New Orleans restaurant history.

by Tom Fitzmorris
www.NOMENU.com