Tujaque's Owner died

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Steven Latter, the quick-witted owner of Tujague's, the historic French Quarter restaurant known for its boiled brisket and its neighborhood bar, died Monday, Feb. 18, in his sleep. He was 64. Founded in 1856 by Guillaume Tujague, the restaurant was already into its second century when Latter and his brother, Stanford, bought it in 1982 from the Guichet family.

The Latters had no restaurant experience and had never eaten a meal at Tujague's before the deal went through. Stanford looked at the buy as strictly investment property, but Steven had other ideas. “I was just going to rent it out to a franchise, whoever paid me the most rent,” Stanford Latter said. “But Steve said, ‘Let’s run it.’ He gave it his life.” Steven Latter eventually bought out his brother’s share in the business. Tujague's, and its regulars, became an extension of his family, and the bar became a sort of “Cheers” for the Quarter crowd.

A serious businessman, Latter pretended to be a bit of a curmudgeon, but his gruff exterior was just a show. “He carefully cultivated an outward persona of being ornery, but you always knew it was with a wink and a private smile,” said David Erath, a friend and Tujague's regular. “His quick wit and intelligent, dry humor was always in play.” After a day spent running the restaurant, Latter, who didn’t drink much, would end up in the bar, sitting in the back corner in a throne-like Crown Royal chair, which he haggled out of his liquor distributor. There, he would joke with his buddies and make $1 sports bets with regulars and wait staff – always putting his buck on LSU or the Saints. “He would walk around and flaunt his stack of ones,” his daughter Shayne Latter said.

Tujague's colorful history has made for great stories, and some of them have ended up in The Times-Picayune, chronicled by columnist Angus Lind. One of those columns was on Latter, who was Jewish, being named “Man of the Year” by the Downtown Irish Club and tapped to lead its St. Patrick’s Day parade. He joked to Lind: “I keep telling 'em, I'm going to get lost . . . and I really am bad on directions.” “Steve was always a big jokester, stirring up trouble, but he was the nicest guy in the world,” said Chick Horton, a restaurant regular. “If someone would ask him how he was doing, he’d always say ‘phenomenal.’”

Latter was born in New Orleans, graduated from Fortier High School and LSUNO, the precursor to the University of New Orleans, with a degree in mathematics. Before taking over Tujague's, he was a purchasing agent for Wembley ties. When he wasn’t in the restaurant, Latter enjoyed woodworking as a hobby, turning exotic lumber into decorative bowls. Latter married his high school sweetheart, Miriam, and he is survived by her and their three children, daughters Shayne and Rachel, and son Mark, and one grandchild.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. at Gates of Prayer, 4000 W. Esplanade Ave. Metairie. Visitation will be at noon, and the burial will be private.

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