Saint John is a large long space from Chef/Owner Eric Cook, who has worked at many fine restaurants in New Orleans. His first restaurant was Gris-Gris and this one opened in Oct. 2021.  There are several rooms as well as a long bar for seating.  Upstairs has balcony seating as well as rooms for rent for private parties.   As you walk to the back room, the long open kitchen is on your right but first you pass a huge mural by Deurty Boys that features tributes to deceased local chefs and hospitality leaders.  The same artist did pieces of stained glass art for each of the elevated booths across from the kitchen.   The space is quite bright, music is in the background and the tables are topped with marble.  Service was helpful but there were very few people there.  This surprised me as it’s right across from the way popular beignet restaurant.  It could be the coldness of the place, the high prices, the average food or the time of year.  Take your pick but I don’t recommend this one – it’s not bad but not worth the money.

Set Up

Food

Hot Shrimp Remoulade was made with Gulf shrimp covered with Remoulade butter on top of fried green tomatoes and beside an okra corn chow chow.  The 5 plump shrimp were perfectly cooked.  The fried green tomatoes were quite firm and not as tart as usual.  The sauce was spicy and salty and the relish fine.  The textures here were good but I’ve had way better shrimp remoulade.

Catfish Amandine is made with crispy Louisiana catfish on smothered green beans and sauced with almond brown butter Meuniére. The coating on the fish tended to fall off the flesh but the fish was nicely cooked.  The brown butter makes this dish and it had an overall good effect.

Pain Perdu is French bread soaked in a brandy milk punch custard topped with sugarcane syrup and powdered sugar and served with seasonal fruit compote.  It was 3 large pieces with no extra syrup until I asked for some.  The fruit combo had too much raspberry and tartness and this should be a plate of sweet yumminess. The bread was nicely toasted and crisp on the edge while staying fairly moist in the center.  However, I had had this years ago at a place called the Coffee Pot and it was lick the plate good.  This was very edible but my tongue didn’t even try for the plate.