Restaurant August and Herbsaint............

[Littleman]

Congratulations for making Gourmet's Top 50 US Restaurants.............

[Bryan Gros]

So how pricey is August?
They conveniently omit prices on their website. (Very classy site though).

Bryan

[River Rat]

Was there last month and my recollection is that apps were in the teens and main courses were in the upper 20's to mid-30's.

[Abner]

They are very pricey for New Orleans. Maybe the most expensive in the entire city.

It is a fine restaurant, but one can find a comparable place if one lives in any large metropolitan area of the US.

I tend to spend my money in Haute Creole establishments.

[zin1953]

Perhaps, being a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm used to a restaurant having prices like August. Certainly places like Gary Danko, Fleur de Lys and Masa's are more expensive (let alone The French Laundry!). I did not think the prices were over-the-top -- centainly not for the quality of the food (which WAS over-the-top!).

[Abner]

I thought that was pretty weird. I like Herbsaint a lot and frequently recommend it. But I wouldn't put it in the top 5 restaurants in New Orleans. I certainly wouldn't rank it ahead of Bayona, their affiliated restaurant, as an example.

August is a bit over the top, too pricey and not sufficiently Louisiana for me, but that's personal preference. I wouldn't put it in my top 5, but I wouldn't quarrel with those who do.

[pilaf]

I completely agree. Herbsaint is good, but not in the same league as August, Stella, Cuvee and several others. I suspect making the list has as much to do (if not more) with p.r. savy as superior food. That Cochon has been mentioned at least three times in the New York times is a testiment to Link's p.r. prowess. Cochon was mediocre at best the three times I have eaten there.