By Will Coviello
The Gambit
A couple of days before opening his new restaurant Saint John, Eric Cook was working with a team of chefs at a preview party. Wearing brand new white chefs’ coats and powder blue surgical masks, they filled platters with hors d’oeuvres along the marble-top bar of the open kitchen.
Tucked in a row of restaurants and bars on lower Decatur Street, the Saint John took over the long-time home of Maximo’s Italian Grill, which had more recently been home to two short-lived ventures. The only saints in sight are New Orleans musicians and chefs, captured in the wooden totems and work by local artists. A large black and white photo of Dr. John is mounted on the wall overlooking the food bar.