Chef Biography

Chef John Besh was born in 1968 in Meridian, Mississippi, was raised in southeastern Louisiana, and graduated from Saint Stanislaus College High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve, was called to active duty in 1990, served in Operation Desert Storm, and participated in the recapture of the Kuwait Airport.

John graduated from the Culinary Institute in 1992 and went to work for Great Chef Chris Kerageorgiou at La Provence in Lacomb, Louisiana, and then moved on to the Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans.  In 2000, he then went to Vicki Bayley’s Artesia Restaurant in Abita Springs, Louisiana where Great Chefs Television taped him preparing an appetizer, Terrine of Smoked Foie Gras and Apple Compote, and a Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta dessert.

In 2001, Besh and his partner opened Restaurant August across the street from his old kitchen at the Windsor Court Hotel. Great Chefs returned to have Chef Besh prepare a Roasted Lobster at August for their Great Chefs of America series.   Besh and his team have been on a roll ever since, first opening Besh Steak in Harrah’s Casino across the street, then a restaurant in the World War II Museum, then taking over the old restaurant in what was Great Chef Susan Spicer’s Cobalt restaurant in the Kimpton Hotel, renaming it Lüke, and then buying La Provence where he started, after his mentor had passed away.  What followed were more restaurants in the Hyatt and Roosevelt Hotels in New Orleans.

In between, he taped two of his own series simultaneously, one for the local PBS station WYES and another for TLC Channel.

Recipes

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Lavender Langues-de-Chat

Serving: 8 Print Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Lavender Langues-de-Chat By Great Chefs May 2, 2014 Panna cotta, a silky baked cream, provides the perfect foil for flavors like jasmine tea and lavender. Langues de chat are oval pastries made with a thin dough. Lavender blossoms are scattered over the batter before it is baked, […]

Terrine of Smoked Foie Gras and Apple Compote

Serving: 4 Print Terrine of Smoked Foie Gras and Apple Compote By Great Chefs May 2, 2014 This is a beautiful combination of flavors, sauteed apples with smoked foie gras and rich brioche. Chef John Besh stacks them high, then garnishes with a little fleur de sel, a chive knot, and reduced balsamic vinegar. The […]

Whole Roasted Lobster

Serving: 2 Print Whole Roasted Lobster By Great Chefs May 2, 2014 An unusual pairing of lobster and apples by Chef Tom Aikens creates a tower of lobster meat topped with a single large ravioli filled with lobster and apple, sitting on a base of apple puree with apple reduction sauce. Aikens takes advantage of […]

Restaurant Information

Phone : 504-299-9777

Address : 301 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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