Luke chef john besh bio

Over the past few months, I&#;ve had the opportunity to spend quality time with famed New Orleans Chef, John Besh. Warm and engaging with an infectious smile, John is a James Beard Award-winning chef with a soulful culinary style.

An undercurrent of adverse challenges shaped the man John is today. At the age of nine, his father was paralyzed by an accident with a drunk driver. Then, just before graduating from culinary school, he was called to fight the war in Iraq (Desert Storm). He opened his first restaurant&#;the week of 9/ And like the rest of New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina left an indelible mark.

Conversations with John reveal a man with a deep sense of history and an earnest desire to preserve the culture of New Orleans. Within the context of food, John is an entrepreneur who leverages his passion for sustainability. He is a dedicated mentor who is guided by the desire to leave an impact on the world of food.


Interview:

John Besh: I was with Alice Waters the other day. They&#;re doing farm-to-table in the Northwest & San Francisco&#;and I can do that in my own back yard. That gives me inspiration.



Traca Savadogo:Tell me about your farm.

John: We started the farm in an effort to be more self-sufficient, to recycle, use what we have&#;and try to be more responsible. We started with a pig pen and a chicken coop. Then we began composting all the organic matter from our restaurants. Next, we composted everything from the chicken coop. So after the chicken coops are raked once a week, and composted every two weeks, we have new soil.

We created these raised beds because it&#;s in a swampy area. Years ago when I worked here, I lost a few gardens (from flooding.) So what I decided to do was build these raised beds and all this beautiful, organic composted soil then goes into the raised beds. That&#;s where we grow specialty vegetables, herbs, and lettuces.

We enlarged the garden even further by planting fig and citrus

John Besh (born May 14, , in Meridian, Mississippi) is an American chef, TV personality, philanthropist, restaurateur and author. He is known for his efforts in preserving the culinary heritage of New Orleans cuisine.

Biography[]

Besh was born in Meridian, Mississippi, and raised in Southern Louisiana in Slidell. He has been married to Jennifer Besh since , together they have four children. Besh is a former US Marine. In he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) but his schooling was cut short due to serving time in the Gulf war. In , Besh won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef, South”. In , he earned Food Arts’ Silver Spoon Award for "revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans".

Sexual misconduct controversy[]

John Besh was a co-owner of Besh Restaurant Group (BRG). In , the BRG managers and owners were accused of allegations of perpetuating "a culture of sexual harassment" and sexual misconduct at the restaurants, publicized by 25 current and former employees. Besh addressed the accusations in a statement: “Two years ago, I deeply hurt those I love by thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team. Since then I have been seeking to rebuild my marriage and come to terms with my reckless actions given the profound love I have for my wife, my boys and my Catholic faith.” Celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain tweeted an image of the complaint filed against Besh's group, calling it, "the beginning of the end of institutionalized Meathead Culture in the restaurant business". Two days after the allegations were made public, Besh stepped down from BRG.^&#

John Besh (born May 14, ) is an American chef, TV personality, philanthropist, restaurateur and author. He is known for his efforts in preserving the culinary heritage of New Orleans cuisine.

Background

Besh was born in Meridian, Mississippi, and raised in Slidell. He has been married to Jenifer Berrigan Besh since ; together they have four children. The family are practicing Catholics and parishioners of the St. Luke the Evangelist Church in Slidell, Louisiana. Besh is a former US Marine. In , he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), but his schooling was cut short owing to his serving in the Gulf War.

In , Food & Wine named Besh among the "Best New Chefs" based on his food at restaurant Artesia.

John Besh was a co-owner with Octavio Mantilla of Besh Restaurant Group (BRG), the group formed after they bought out the original investors of the acclaimed restaurant August.

In , Besh won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef, South". In , he earned Food Arts' Silver Spoon Award for "revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans".

Restaurants

Many of his restaurants have celebrated Louisiana regional cooking, including Restaurant August, Besh Steakhouse, Lüke, La Provence, Domenica, Pizza Domenica, Johnny Sánchez, Shaya and Borgne.

The following active restaurants are associated with Besh:

• August – New Orleans' Central Business District – his flagship restaurant, featuring contemporary French cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients. Featured in Gourmet magazine's "Guide to America's Best Restaurants" and "America's Top 50 Restaurants".
• Borgne – Hyatt Regency – coastal Louisiana cuisine, such as shrimp toast rissoles, oyster spaghetti and seafood stuffed flounder.
• Domenica – Roosevelt Hotel – Italian; name means "Sunday" in Italian.