George Mardikian

George Mardikian (November 7, 1903-October 23, 1977) was an Armenian-American restaurateur who opened the now-famous Omar Khayyam’s Restaurant in San Francisco, CA in 1930.

He is also the author of Song of America. This book is quoted at DisneyWorld's Epcot Center in the [American Aventure Hall's East Hall] http://www.wdwmagic.com/american.htm

Biography

George Mardikian was born on November 7, 1903 in Papert, Armenia. In 1915, during the Armenian massacre of World War I, Mardikian saw his father killed and was taken prisoner and placed in a Turkish prisoner-of-war camp. Near death due to mistreatment in the camp, Mardikian was finally released in 1922 and shortly thereafter, boarded a ship for America. Arriving at Ellis Island in New York, Mardikian took a shower which he described as ridding him of all that was rotten-“hatred, wars, and famine.” Taking a train from New York to San Francisco eating only potato salad, for that was all he could read in English, Mardikian vowed to one day open a restaurant of his own. He got a job working as a dishwasher at Coffee Dan’s. In 1930, he moved to Fresno, CA where he found a vibrant Armenian immigrant community. He opened a lunch counter called Omar Khayyam’s after the famous Armenian poet at 1129 Van Ness Avenue. Despite the on-going Depression, customers filled his diner to enjoy his clam chowder, chili con carne, and pot roast. As he frequently noted, his dream was to teach Americans how to eat well. He would later move his restaurant to two other large buildings in Fresno and would eventually move Omar Khayyam’s to the old Coffee Dan’s building in San Francisco in 1938 where he would go on to earn praise from critic and local alike. [Rehart, Catherine Morison. "The Valley's Legends and Legacies." (Fresno, CA: Quill Driver Books, 1996).] He would eventually feature Omar Khayyam's in his 1944 cook book, "Dinner at Omar Khayyam's." From 1942-1954, Mardikian served as a food consultant for the U.S. Army for which he received presidential commendations. In 1951, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A portion of the citation reads, "with vigorous energy, keen powers of observation and analysis and a dynamic personality, he enlisted the enthusiastic interest of commanders and soldiers alike in the preparation and service of food under varying conditions in the combat zone." [ [http://jdemirdjian.com/pages/celebrities_and_famous_armenians.htm Celebrities and Famous Armenians] , jdemirdjian.com] He would go on to write and contribute to entrepreneurial and philanthropic causes including the American National Committee to Aid Homeless Armenians (ANCHA). George Mardikian died on October 23, 1977. The San Francisco Omar Khayyam's restaurant burned down in the 1980s but the building has gone under a massive restoration and retrofit and will be a flagship store for Sketcher Shoes.

References

*Jane Holt, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20D10F9345F11738DDDAB0994D9415B8488F1D3 Delights of Armenian Cookery] , "New York Times" (Sunday Magazine), November 12, 1944
* [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingPage.aspx?type=glpnews&search=george%20mardikian&
] , "Oakland Tribune", June 17, 1956
*Vartkes Sinanian, [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-105267987.html Remembering A
] , "The Armenian Reporter", December 25, 2004.
*California Legacy Project: George Mardikian's "Potato Salad", http://californialegacy.org/radio_anthology/scripts/mardikian.html