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Meet John Besh

John Besh is a chef and a native son dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana. In his restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits and public activities, he preserves and promotes ingredients, techniques and heritage one mouth-watering dish at a time.

Besh grew up in southern Louisiana and has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans - a town whose identity is bound to its food. Each of his six acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Luke, La Provence, American Sector and Domenica) celebrates the bounty and traditions of the region.

From the outset of his career, the talented and driven Besh has earned continual kudos: Food & Wine named him one of the Top 10 Best New Chefs in America," and his flagship restaurant, August, was featured in the late great Gourmet magazine's Guide to America's Best Restaurants" and list of America's Top 50 Restaurants." Local publications keeping close tabs on the dining scene, like The Times-Picayune and New Orleans City Business, have applauded all his other restaurants as they've appeared and won the hearts and palates of discriminating diners. Besh won the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006 as well as the Food Arts' Silver Spoon Award in 2009 for revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans. He is a frequent guest chef on NBC's Today show and has appeared on top programs on the Food Network and the Sundance Channel.

Besh's devotion to local ingredients and cuisine extends to his entrepreneurial projects, which include the creation of Besh Restaurant Group Catering; the launch of a line of gourmet products; and the publication of his first cookbook, My New Orleans (Andrews McMeel Publishing, October 2009). A former U.S. Marine, Besh is proud to have partnered with Baton Rouge-based emergency reconstruction specialists Arkel International to create high-quality ready-to-eat meals for distribution to thousands of emergency response teams and sustained strategic operations in the United States and around the world; the novel initiative promotes the Gulf Coast's food culture as it elevates the Louisiana economy. In recognition of Besh's far-reaching contributions, the Louisiana Restaurant Association named him Restaurateur of the Year in 2008.

Whether served as far afield as North Africa or the Middle East, or by his own hands in one of his New Orleans restaurants, a meal created by John Besh is a thoughtful, flavorful, meaningful delight.

inedible to incredible

Host Bio

Meet John Besh