From Slideli, South Louisiana comes 39-year-old John Besh, who is the executive chef for Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Lüke and La Provence. He was educated at the Culinary Institute of America and later pursued a career in culinary arts, subsequently being named by Food & Wine as one of the "Top 10 Best New Chefs in America" in 1999. In 2006, he won the Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast. Inspired by Chef Karl-Josef Fuchs in Obermünstertal, Germany and Michel Richard in Washington D.C., Besh is known for combining contemporary French technique with indigenous South Louisiana products. His signature ingredient is jumbo lump blue crab meat and most avoided ingredients are tilapia, Atlantic salmon and imported shrimp and crawfish. L’Oustau de Baumaniére in Les Baux de Provence is his favorite restaurant. Besh is married and has four sons.
John Besh appears on The Next Iron Chef as one of eight contenders for the title of Iron Chef.
(Photo courtesy of Food Network)