On October 1^st, 2001, Restaurant August burst onto the New Orleans culinary scene with acclaimed chef and native son, John Besh, at the helm. The handsome restaurant occupies an historic four-story Creole-French building in the Central Business District dating back to the 1800s. Following a 3.5-million dollar restoration, Restaurant August took the lead among the contemporary restaurants and specialty shops resurrecting this once thriving commercial district, and the star attraction is the cuisine. Chef Besh serves classical Louisiana cuisine with a European flair, featuring only the freshest local ingredients.  In 1998, Food & Wine named him one of its “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America.” Since then, Besh and Restaurant August have been garnering top accolades – including the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast for 2006; the prestigious ranking of Five Beans by The New Orleans Times-Picayune; listing among the “50 Hot Tables” in the world by Condé Nast Traveler; Gourmet magazine’s “Guide to America’s Best Restaurants” and “50 Best Restaurants;” and a glowing feature in Santé, to name just a few.