New Orleans is the kind of city that seems unshockable. Given our storied history of resilience and perseverance through nearly every sort of disaster known to nature and humankind alike, we’re just not the pearl-clutching sort. So it was something of a notable event when, seemingly out of nowhere, Chef Eric Cook took to social media to say that he was immediately closing up shop due to a scandalous, surprise energy bill. New Orleanians were, well…shocked. And rightfully so. Saint John quickly became a French Quarter favorite since their opening in 2021, and it seemed as though it, and its talented and kinetic Executive Chef, were unstoppable. Amidst all the sad restaurant closings in recent days (more than we’d like to count), this one hit hard. But Cook wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
In the two days following Cook’s announcement that Saint John would be immediately shuttering due to that out-of-the-blue $40,000 power bill, seemingly every New Orleans foodie and their “mom and dem” came out of the woodwork to support the beleaguered eatery, and the voluminous howls of outrage and calls for support caught the attention of not just the local media but also the City Council. In less than a week, Saint John was able to re-open its doors, and there was much rejoicing.
“It was crazy, man, I don’t even know how to approach it,” said Cook. “It’s always good to see the support, because a lot of times it feels like you’re on the inside looking out. I’m the last person who’s involved with social media because I have so many things going on. It seems like for the last three years, from COVID until now, it’s been a struggle. But all that support was more important for the people working in the restaurant to see, because those are the ones doing the hard work in there. And to see them react to the public response positively, it was really what motivated us to keep pushing and fighting.”
While the news loves a good kerfuffle, and it really loves a David and Goliath story, it’s important to realize what Cook and his crew were fighting so hard to preserve in their historic outpost on Decatur Street, and why the public jumped so freely and vociferously to the restaurant’s aid.
In the most elemental sense, Saint John is a new restaurant that feels like an old one. And there’s a good reason for that. The menu specializes in what they describe as “haute Creole cuisine,” but what Chef Cook more humbly refers to as, “the kind of special occasion dishes you might have with your New Orleans family on Thanksgiving or Christmas. We wanted a restaurant that feels like a big hug from New Orleans, from your grandmother. That makes you remember your special moments.” For Cook, Saint John has always been about celebrating the classics, and making sure they stay on the menu instead of fading into obscurity, as so many once quintessential dishes have. “We wanted to go deeper into that ‘high Creole’ aspect,” said the chef, “but we wanted to be real New Orleans Creole food, and not just ‘restaurant Creole food.’ And the food we eat at home in this city is not always the prettiest food. I adopted the slogan, ‘brown on brown is the new black.’ We wanted everything to have some kind of gravy.”
What you’ll find at Saint John, other than a gorgeously built out space that features stained glass windows and a long chef’s table in front of an open kitchen, is exactly the type of celebratory Crescent City fare you might find coming out of your mamere’s kitchen during a festive holiday, maybe New Year’s Day or Mardi Gras, or perhaps a wedding brunch. And that, of course, does not make for a “light lunch.” Take the white beans, for example, a hearty dish familiar to anyone who might have grown up in New Orleans or who might have made this town their adopted home. Only this version is a decadent white bean cassoulet featuring a fist-sized hunk of glistening pork belly and topped with a crunchy cornbread gremolata. It’s enough to make your mouth water and your heart stop. Then you have Saint John’s take on shrimp remoulade, which one might be surprised to find served hot here instead of with its customary chill, sporting seared shrimp with generous amounts of butter and cream, served atop perfectly fried green tomatoes, sugarcane vinegar and a corn chow chow.
Other classics populate the menu at Saint John like old friends come home: grillades and grits, pain perdu, catfish amandine, beef daube, chicken Bonne Femme, a panéed pork chop, and the restaurant’s eponymous dish, “Oysters Saint John,” which sports a trio of bivalve preparations, including an oyster patty featuring a classic, flaky vol au vent pastry shell filled with oyster dressing, fried oysters, and poached oysters in a voluptuous double cream sauce. “It’s not about trying to reinvent the wheel,” Cook said. “We wanted to remember what you had at the table as a kid. We wanted things that we know are delicious, that are authentic, and it’s part of keeping New Orleans alive. That’s what it’s really all about.”
Despite all the recent challenges the city and his restaurant face, Cook is defiantly passionate about preserving and protecting the culinary community that makes our city so uniquely wonderful. “New Orleans is a great restaurant town,” he said. “And people understand that the great thing about this city is that we have adversity, whether it be economic, or a storm, or whatever we’re going through, it’s a resilient town. And restaurants are the first to feel it. We’re always the first thing to come back. The environment, the culture, there’s nothing like dining out in New Orleans. We’re a very social town, you go out to dinner and you always see someone you know. Being a part of that is really special to me.”
That will always be special to us, too, Chef.
Southern classic
Gris-Gris, chef Eric Cook’s Magazine Street restaurant, has been serving up refined Southern cooking since 2018. The atmosphere is relaxed and lively, with an emphasis on classic dishes and New Orleans favorites, such as shrimp and grits, chicken and dumplings and, “chef’s signature dish,” the oyster BLT. Open for lunch, brunch and dinner, it’s a welcome member of the Magazine Street mix. Be sure to check out the second-floor bar and balcony for a great view of the neighborhood. 1800 Magazine St., grisgrisnola.com.
Cocktail Inspiration
If you are looking for a mysterious twist on cocktails the Loa Bar in the International House features a “voudou-inspired” menu from bartender Abigail Gullo. Influences include flavors from the Caribbean, Spain, France, Africa and beyond. Recent winter cocktail creations included “The Countess” (vodka, espresso liquor, Pineau des Chantres, tonic) “The Green Door” (lemongrass mezcal, tequila, pineapple, Chartreause elixir, lime) and “Ship Island” (Brazilian rum, cherry, apple, lemon, bubbles). 221 Camp St., ihhotel.com.
About the Chef
Born and raised in New Orleans, Chef Eric Cook has made his way through some of the most notable restaurant kitchens in the Big Easy, making his bones at Grande Dame Creole mainstays like Brennan’s and Commander’s Palace before taking charge of The American Sector in the WWII museum (fitting for a Marine Corps combat veteran like Cook) as well as Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, before eventually opening up Gris Gris on Magazine St. in 2018 to significant acclaim. Saint John opened up in 2021 to similar praise, though Chef Cook skews toward humble when asked about his success. “We’ve been extremely blessed,” he says. “We’ve made a lot of really, really great friends over the last five years, locals and visitors alike. We’ve made relationships with so many people around the country and around the world. Lasting friendships, especially around food…there’s nothing like it.”
