Restaurant August

Oh, how I really wanted to like Restaurant August. Really, who doesn't like Chef John Besh? Handsome and a native to Louisiana, I was looking forward to visiting one of his restaurants ever since we made ressies months ago. But....I realized that Restaurant August is kinda like a fancy Disney of the NOLA restaurant scene.

We started with a complimentary Amuse Bouche of a Truffle Sabayon. It was quite tasty with a rich creaminess and a subtle truffle flavor.


I ordered the Organic Green Salad with Pumpkin Brittle, Bleu Cheese and Pumpkin Seed Oil Vinaigrette for my starter. And it was the best part of the meal. A bit over-dressed, it was a great combination of sweetness in the Vin and savory in the Greens. The Pumpkin Brittle itself was amazing, but it was quite a large hunk to start off the meal.


I ordered off one of the tasting menus for my entree and had the Sablefish in Puff Pastry. It was average. The fish was unusually, well, fishy, and the Puff Pastry really added nothing to the dish. I was disappointed and did not finish my meal.


So here's the thing. This place was ultra fancy. But a few things were just....off. We were seated around the corner from the kitchen, which was not a bad thing. Until we kept hearing cheering and clapping every few minutes. We discussed it at the table and figured maybe they were watching a basketball game in the kitchen. No biggie. And we were excited when one of our servers offered us a tour of the kitchen after dinner....we kinda felt like rock stars! Until we realized that all the cheering and clapping coming from the kitchen was all of the other tables getting a tour of the kitchen before us. Great in concept, but it really took the special-ness out of the evening. Also, our front server pretty much disappeared....after I ordered one of the lesser expensive wines. I would say that the service was ruined except for the back server who was personable and really took time with our table.

I'm glad I tried Restaurant August, but I'll never go back. There's way too much great food in NOLA to waste a night at this overly priced restaurant.