What the Critics Have to Say…
Besh Restaurant Group
ACCOLADES & HONORS
The Times-Picayune – October 2009 – Chef Erick Loos of La
The Times-Picayune – October 2009 – August “Top 10 Best Restaurants in
Times-Picayune Lagniappe - April 2009 – Lüke, three beans (very good to excellent). “Lüke has suckled a following with a procession of disarmingly home-spun culinary touches and broad-shouldered dishes that satisfy something more than just an appetite.”
Food Arts – January 2009 – John Besh awarded Silver Spoon Award for reviving and revitalizing the culinary legacy of
Louisiana Restaurant Association – 2008 – Chef John Besh awarded 2008 Restaurateur of the Year for his efforts to advance
Gambit Weekly – 2008 – Chef John Besh and Besh Restaurant Group captured four prized spots on the Gambit Weekly’s annual Best of New Orleans Reader Poll. Top honors include: Best Chef, Best Hotel Restaurant for Lüke, Best Wine List for August and Best Northshore Restaurant for La
New Orleans CityBusiness – 2008 – Inaugural class of Culinary Connoisseurs, recognizing 50 top professionals in Louisiana’s culinary industry based on cuisine, business success, and culinary involvement; honorees include August, Best Fine Dining Establishment; Lüke, Best Casual Upscale Dining Establishment; Lüke, Best New Restaurant; John Besh, Best Owner – August, Lüke, Besh Steak, La Provence; John Besh, Best Executive Chef – August, Lüke.
Food Network: The Next Iron Chef – 2007 – Chef John Besh was selected to compete to become the Next Iron Chef, succeeding in every challenge, and finishing as the runner-up in Kitchen Stadium.
Iconoclasts, Sundance Channel – November 2007 – Chef John Besh and Wynton Marsalis selected portraits of creative visionaries whose passion for what they do has transformed our culture for the third season of the original series ‘Iconoclasts.’ “Iconoclasts explores the intersection where two great talents meet and where creativity comes alive,” Executive Producer Robert Redford.
The Times-Picayune – October 2007 – August “Top 10 Best Restaurants in
2007 Restaurant Neighbor Award, National Restaurant Association – Chef John Besh named state award winner for his tremendous dedication to community outreach in
Nation’s Restaurant News Hall of Fame Awards – May 2007 Chef John Besh and August named to the Hall of Fame for Fine Dining.
The James Beard Foundation Awards – 2006 – John Besh receives award for Best Chef, Southeast. [2005 – John Besh nominated for Best Chef, Southeast]
Iron Chef America – February 2006 – Chef John Besh was the first
Santé Restaurant Culinary Hospitality Award – 2005 – August received the Regional Innovative Culinary Hospitality Award.
Kendall-Jackson Winery 8th Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival – September 2004 – Chef John Besh won the Chef’s Challenge; Besh served as competition judge at festival in September 2005.
Great American Seafood Cook-Off – July 2004 – Chef John Besh crowned “King of Seafood” at competition highlighting seafood from local waters (aired April 2005 on Food Network); Besh now serves as a spokesman for the Louisiana Seafood Board.
Icelandic Naturally Food & Fun Festival Culinary Competition – February 2004 – Chef John Besh named Chef of the Year.
Wine Spectator – since 2002, August has received the “Award of Excellence.”
Food & Wine Magazine – July 1999– Chef John Besh as one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in
RATINGS
Travel + Leisure – June 2009 – The Lüke Burger is honored as one of the “Best Burgers in
Times-Picayune –
Zagat – 2009 – August ranked with high honor in
Gayot Top 40 Restaurants – 2008 – August honored as one of the top 40 restaurants in the country.
Condé Nast Traveler – May 2008 – The annual “Hot List” named the top 105 worldwide restaurants of 2008 – only 39 were in the
Bon Appétit – February 2008 – The annual green issue named La
Gourmet Magazine – October 2006 – August named one of America’s “Top 50 Restaurants;” John Besh is credited with “intelligently updating the Louisiana dining tradition while exploring a vision of something New Orleans truly needs: a future.”
The Times-Picayune – June 2003 – Local critic Brett Anderson included August in his Top 10 Picks.
Gourmet Magazine – September 2003 – August is listed on Gourmet’s “Guide to
The Times-Picayune – June 2003 – Local critic Brett Anderson rated the food at August “superior,” claiming that Besh has “willed one of the region’s most celebrated restaurants into one of the region’s best restaurants, period.” Five red beans were awarded, making August only the second restaurant in the city to receive this honor in the past three years.
Condé Nast Traveler – May 2002 – The annual “Hot List” named the top 50 worldwide eateries of 2002 – only twelve were in the
IN THE NEWS
Food Arts – December 2009 – My New Orleans was featured in the article, “Songs of Self,” and Domenica was included in the “Birth Announcements.”
Paula Deen’s Christmas –
Metropolitan Home – December 2009 – “Native Son,” a six page spread on Chef John Besh included recipes and pictures from My New Orleans.
Culinary Concierge – Fall/Holiday 2009 – Domenica and Chef
The New York Times – November 2009 – Chef John Besh’s cookbook, My New Orleans, was featured in the article, “Cookbooks as Edible Adventures.”
Food Network Magazine – November 2009 – Chef John Besh featured in a four page spread on Oysters.
The Wall Street Journal – November 2009 – My New Orleans by chef John Besh was recommended for a holiday gift in the article, “Literary Profiling.”
Men’s Journal - November 2009 – Chef John Besh’s recipe from My New Orleans for Turkey Gumbo was featured in “Gourmet Leftovers” as an alternative for utilizing Thanksgiving leftovers.
Southern Living – October 2009 – The feature article, “Best of Besh” profiles August, Lüke, La
Coastal Living Magazine – September 2009 – Chef John Besh’s Fried Oyster Salad with Louisiana Caviar Dressing from My New Orleans was featured in an article about oyster feasts.
Today Show –
Gourmet Magazine – October 2009 – Chef John Besh and My New Orleans are featured in an article about cookbooks.
Men’s Health – October 2009 – Chef John Besh was featured in a four-page spread about applying lessons learned through cooking to life.
American Veteran – Fall 2009 – Chef John Besh was featured on the cover and in a four-page spread featuring an interview and pictures regarding the influence being a United States Marine veteran had on his career.
Travel + Leisure – September 2009 – Chef John Besh was included in “Behind the Scenes: Flying Chefs” for his first-class menu design for Lufthansa.
Food & Wine – July 2009 – The article, “What Chefs Know Best: 20 Lessons from the Pros” included Chef John Besh’s recipe for sangria.
Esquire –
The Martha Stewart Show –
Food Arts – March 2009 – Chef John Besh featured in “Spring Menu Preview,” highlighting only five chefs in the country.
Travel + Leisure Magazine – March 2009 – “Essential New Orleans” feature includes Chef John Besh and August.
Top Chef – February 2009 – Chef John Besh appeared in the Season 5 finale as a guest judge.
Garden & Gun Magazine – December 2008 – Chef John Besh featured in opening spread of the magazine about hunting and Besh Restaurant Group relief efforts.
Cooking Light Magazine – December 2008 – Feature about the Reveillon tradition in
Ralph Lauren Magazine – December 2008 – Feature article on Chef John Besh with menu ideas for the holidays.
Redbook Magazine – November 2008 – Chef John Besh featured throughout the entire food section of the magazine in a “Big Easy Thanksgiving” with his family.
Vogue Magazine – November 2008 – August featured as the place to dine while in
Cooking Light Magazine – October 2008 – Chef John Besh included in “Market Basket Challenge” preparing a meal based on ingredients provided for the challenge.
Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel – October 2008 – “25 Things We Love About
Esquire Magazine – October 2008 – Lüke included as one of the most resourceful responses after Hurricane Gustav.
Culture & Leisure Magazine – Fall 2008 – La
GQ Magazine – September 2008 – Chef John Besh featured in article about the redevelopment of
Esquire Magazine – August 2008 – Chef John Besh featured in article about Lüke.
Food & Wine – July 2008 – Chef John Besh included in 50 Best Chef Hall of Fame. Also featured in “
The New York Times –
Cookie Magazine – May 2008 – Chef John Besh featured with his four sons fishing [a long-standing family tradition], cooking, and bonding in the article “Gone Fishin’.”
Today Show – April 2008 – Chef John Besh appeared on program in live cooking segment with former First Lady Laura Bush; additional appearances in October 2007, June 2006, November 2005, October 2005, April 2005, and December 2003.
Restaurant Hospitality – February 2008 – Chef John Besh was featured on the cover and profiled in “10 Thoughts from John Besh.”
Food & Wine Magazine – December 2007 – Chef John Besh featured at home with family and friends in the article “The Big, Easy Christmas.”
The Wall Street Journal – November 2007 – Chef John Besh’s 30-minute meal featured in the Food & Drink Section “Chefs at Home.”
Travel + Leisure – November 2007 – Chef John Besh featured with three other
House & Garden – October 2007 – Chef John Besh featured at home with his family using his outdoor Viking kitchen for family gatherings in the article “Off Duty.”
Town & Country – April 2007 – Chef John Besh featured in the article “Farm to Table” about sustainable southern cuisine.
Town & Country – June 2006 – Chef John Besh featured in the article “New Orleans Now” about his philanthropic work in
O The Oprah Magazine – March 2006 – Chef John Besh featured as “The First Responder” in the article “Delta Force -
Super Seafood Grill-Off – March 2006 – Chef John Besh served as judge for Food Network competition.
Gourmet Magazine – February 2006 – Chef John Besh featured in “A Letter from
Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels – February 2006 – August was featured on episode about
CNN – November 2005 – Chef John Besh featured throughout broadcast on Thanksgiving morning months after Hurricane Katrina.
The New York Times – September 2005 – Chef John Besh featured as the city’s culinary voice in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; Besh also featured in articles on recovery in October 2005 and January 2006.
Robb Report - November 2004 – August’s penthouse called
The New York Times Magazine, “The Sophisticated Traveler” – May 2004 – “…I first came down here believing that eating in New Orleans meant dinner at Antoine’s. What I discovered dining at …August… will surprise no one who has been keeping up with the local restaurant scene: this remains a fabulous eating town, right up there with
Food & Wine Magazine – February 2004 – In her feature on New Orleans, Julia Reed reveals that she prefers to dine at “lovely August, where I invariably order gnocchi with crab and white truffle, or whatever wonderful thing [John Besh] is doing to his impeccable house-smoked salmon.”
Travel + Leisure – November 2003 – In Travel + Leisure’s feature, “40 Great Places to Spend the Holidays,” John Besh is cited as the “chef at one of [
Food & Wine Magazine – July 2003 – Chef John Besh featured in the article “A Chef At Peace” about his time as a Marine in the Gulf War and his progression to becoming a chef.