AUGUST
Celebrity chef and Top Chef judges’ table regular John Besh has an empire of restaurants in the city but French-inspired August is his undisputed crown jewel. This is white tablecloth dining at its finest; the focus is on using local ingredients while providing a vehicle for Besh’s classical European training. The only thing more striking than the menu is the breath-taking beauty of the richly detailed architecture in the restaurant’s three dining rooms. A dinner at August is a lesson in refinement and the kitchen shows a deft hand in dishes like the seafood-studded courtbouillon and the slow-cooked, pecan smoked beef with marrow dumplings. August’s menu proves Louisiana born-and-bred John Besh is at his best when he adds innovative twists to classic Creole dishes.