John Besh - Restaurants

Restaurants

August

August is located in a historic 19th century French-Creole building in New Orleans’ Central Business District. The interior has original architectural details, hardwood floors, columns, mahogany paneling and antique mirrors. The main dining area caters includes three rooms: the main dining room with crystal chandeliers, the two-story wine room and the more intimate Gravier room.

The cuisine at August is contemporary French cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients. It is inspired by Chef John Besh’s classical culinary training in New Orleans and Europe, including his Southern Louisiana heritage. August was a semifinalist for the 2012 James Beard Awards Outstanding Restaurant, and Open Table’s Diner’s Choice Top 100 Restaurants in 2011. Pastry chef, Kelly Fields was awarded Food& Wine People’s Best New Chef Central in 2012

American Sector

Located inside The National World War II Museum, The American Sector puts a sassy new spin on the most popular staples of American cuisine. Old traditions become new favorites as Chef John Besh transforms hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, milkshakes and more into delicious new dishes for diners to enjoy in this charming setting.

Soda Shop

Also located inside The National World War II Museum, the Soda Shop offers fountain sodas in Melon, Pineapple, Nectar and special seasonal versions, served in vintage 1-quart seltzer bottles; house-made ice creams and milkshakes in flavors such as Bananas Foster, Sector Candy Bar Crunch and Creole Cream Cheese Red Velvet; and an array of signature sandwiches, homemade soups, sweet treats and breakfast items including a “build your own biscuit” option.

Besh Steak

The restaurant melds Chef John Besh's devotion to local Louisiana ingredients and techniques with traditional steakhouse menu items. Wine and spirits are also an integral part of the dining experience at Besh Steak, with hand-selected cellar choices to accompany each dish.

The press has welcomed this refreshing steak house since it opened in 2003, from Gourmet to Southern Living. Local arbiter The Times Picayune states that "All modern steakhouses of any merit are forums for conspicuous consumption, but Besh’s ups the ante," and "in the whirlwind world of high-rollers and slot machines, Besh Steak holds a winning hand." In 2010, Besh Steak was awarded Open Table’s Diners Choice. New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles declares "Besh Steak is an odds-on favorite to make Harrah's New Orleans Casino a new destination for foodies."

Borgne

Chefs John Besh and Brian Landry grew up fishing on Lake Borgne, the epicenter of coastal cuisine in Louisiana. Their shared passion for Louisiana seafood brought them together to create Borgne, Besh's ninth restaurant and a celebration of coastal Louisiana with a touch of Isleño influence. Located inside the Hyatt Regency, Borgne is a gathering place for locals and visitors alike and a Central Business District lunch spot. Borgne’s signature dishes include shrimp toast rissoles, oyster spaghetti and seafood stuffed flounder.

Domenica

The name means “Sunday” in Italian, and partners John Besh and Alon Shaya have created a restaurant in the renovated historic Roosevelt Hotel that is as warm and inviting as a traditional Sunday supper in a rural Italian village, where each bountiful dish is lovingly prepared with the purest ingredients according to ages-old technique.

In 2011, the Times Picayune named Domenica one of the Top Ten Restaurants in New Orleans. In 2012, Shaya was named Food& Wine’s Best New Chef Gulf Coast and a semifinalist for the 2012 James Beard Awards Best Chef South.

La Provence

La Provence is a warm, welcoming Provençal auberge on picturesque grounds with extensive greenery, including several acres of kitchen garden. The fully renovated interior of the tile-roofed restaurant features gleaming hardwood floors, rustic stucco-work, and ceiling beams of distressed oak. It is filled with antiques from Provence, as well as photographs and paintings that contribute to the eclectic Provençal warmth of the atmosphere.

In 2009, The Times-Picayune named Chef Erick Loos the “Chef to Watch" and in 2011 Travel and Leisure Magazine named La Provence one of "America's Most Romantic Restaurants."

Luke New Orleans

Opened in 2007, Lüke New Orleans is Besh’s homage to the grand old Franco-German brasseries that he once reigned in New Orleans. Adjacent to the Hilton St. Charles in the heart of the Central Business District, Lüke offers warmth, comfort, great food and good cheer. The decor is nostalgic featuring blackboard specials, newspaper racks and vintage pulley-an-belt driven ceiling fan system. The menu combines the best of French, German and Creole Cuisines. Lüke offers an extensive French, German, and Belgian beer selection, including three exclusive house brews custom-made in Louisiana.

Luke San Antonio

Lüke San Antonio is situated on the city’s famed historic San Antonio River Walk and is Besh’s first restaurant outside of his home state of Louisiana. It features a menu of authentic Old World cuisine, combining classic German and French cooking techniques with a New Orleans touch.

Chef Steve McHugh is enthusiastic about sharing the fruits of his labor with an evolving menu of farm fresh ingredients and bistro specialties including house-made pâtés and abundant plateaux of cold, fresh seafood, as well as chef-inspired blackboard specials, perfectly enticing to the urban diner. To complement its cuisine, Lüke offers an extensive wine list and beer selection.