Eric Cook is a NOLA native with an intricate knowledge of the history of Louisiana, its foodways and its dishes. His two restaurants, Gris Gris and Saint John, featuring down-home and upscale Creole cuisine respectively, are both recognized as among the best in the city, with reviewers using superlatives such as “magic” and “stellar.”
Cook is a Marine vet and a well seasoned veteran of the New Orleans restaurant scene, having worked at such storied institutions as Brennan’s Restaurant, Commander’s Palace and Bourbon House. His debut cookbook Modern Creole will be released this Fall and we’ve been excited to receive an advance copy. Cook’s love for his city and the rural Louisiana of his childhood shines through on every page. Recipes are filtered through a lens of nostalgia that imbues both his writing and his food with character and the unique quality that is NOLA soul.
We had a chat with Eric about his life, his work and the city he calls home.
T&T NOLA has a long and storied history and a unique cultural mix. What dish or dishes do you think best represent New Orleans on a plate?
EC I would say the simplicity of a Shrimp Creole. We don’t have to be fancy here, and we have the best natural resources down in South Louisiana. With that combination of locally grown tomatoes, fresh shrimp from the Gulf, Louisiana grown rice, and natural spice of Creole seasoning, there’s nothing more representative of the simplicity of New Orleans cuisine.
T&T How do your restaurants Gris Gris and Saint John differ in style?
EC Gris-Gris was born from the idea of showcasing what I ate growing up in New Orleans. A lot of new restaurants tend to put these big, intricate dishes on the menus and forget the little things and what we grew up with. Gris-Gris’ menu is the food that my Mom and Dad made for us on a daily basis.
Saint John is an extension of that idea showcasing the dishes that we got once a year or on special occasions. Grandma’s oyster dressing coming in for Christmas or big dishes of baked macaroni hitting the table for Thanksgiving. We’re keeping it refined home cooking, but adding that level of fine dining that all New Orleanians have in their back rolodex for special occasions.
T&T What is your all-time favourite Louisiana ingredient to work with and why?
EC Fresh blue crab. Blue crab is used in so many dishes – crab cakes with remoulade, marinated claws with Creole-seasoned garlic, stuffed shells, the list is endless. It lends itself to a great stock that is a key ingredient in most New Orleans dishes like Redfish Courtbouillon, Shrimp Creole, or even used in thickening a bisque. It is one of my most used items.
T&T What is your favourite luxury ingredient?
EC Foie Gras. No explanation needed. Someone is missing out on making a foie gras scented candle.
T&T What is your favourite humble ingredient?
EC Collard Greens. They get a bad rep in other places, but it is a staple side dish in my restaurants. The simplicity of a good spicy green with bacon and sugarcane cooked down in chicken stock is super underrated.
T&T Are there any lesser-known regional ingredients you enjoy introducing to your restaurant guests?
EC Chicken Gizzards at Gris-Gris and Smothered Turkey Necks at Saint John. Both are thought of as lesser ingredients, but the process of making them is 100% stemmed in Southern cooking.
T&T What’s your favourite NOLA comfort food?
EC Red Beans and Rice. Without a doubt. I still look forward to red beans on Mondays more than I look forward to Sunday football.
T&T What was your favourite food when you were serving in the Marines? Do you still eat it?
EC In service, we ate a lot of MREs, and they always had a peanut butter package with stale crackers. To this day when I need a snack, I go looking for saltines and a jar of peanut butter, and that’ll make me happier than anything else I can find in the kitchen.
T&T Where would you send a visitor to NOLA who has an adventurous palate but a limited budget?
EC Canseco’s Market. It’s a local grocery store that has a huge hot and cold meal section with almost every New Orleans dish imaginable. My family and I lived near one for years and almost every night, we stopped there to pick up dinner.
T&T Where should they go for a splurge-worthy meal?
EC Commander’s Palace. By far the most impressionable job I’ve ever had. The level of attention to detail from the front door to the kitchen is unmatched. A walk through the kitchen heading to the Garden Room is a must do in this city.
T&T Are there any neighbourhood gems or out-of-the-way eateries in NOLA that we should know about?
EC Parkway Bakery & Tavern on Bayou St. John. You’ll understand the hype once you get there. Let yourself get hungry and get a large po’boy and a Barq’s root beer, and you won’t be disappointed.
T&T Who are your favourite NOLA musicians?
EC How can you choose? Dr John, Irma Thomas, Big Sam, Big Freedia, Kermit Ruffins.
T&T You must be very busy running two successful restaurants. What inspired you to take on the extra job of publishing a cookbook?
EC Throughout my career as a cook in New Orleans, I’ve compiled a pretty extensive collection of cookbooks, and I’ve always kept a spot open on the shelf hoping one day, I’ll get to fill the spot with my own. During the pandemic when we were all stuck at home, it inspired me to start writing down my stories and all of the experiences I’ve had in Louisiana kitchens, and it grew from there. It is definitely a labour of love and one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. I cannot wait to share it with everybody.
T&T You have cooked in the finest restaurants in New Orleans and with some of the city’s most respected chefs. Are there any particular dishes that so inspired you in your cooking journey that you have carried them, or versions of them, with you?
EC There’s so many amazing dishes I’ve been able to cook, create, and share with my friends and family. The signature dish at Saint John would have to be my pick. The combination of a classic oyster soup and crispy French pastry, my grandma’s oyster dressing, and crispy fried oysters ties that evolution of Creole food together and how it can be such an impactful statement for our guests.
T&T How do you relax when you are away from the pressures of running a restaurant kitchen?
EC I enjoy spending time at home with my family, chasing my dogs around the yard and garden. Gardening is the most relaxing and calming thing in the world even though it is tough work.
T&T Taste&Travel is a magazine for people who love to read, love to eat and love to travel. If you had a ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
EC I would love to go to Spain and eat my way through all of the small towns. New Orleans food is inspired by so many different cultures and cuisines, and I think one of the most forgotten is Spanish food.
Spiced Whiskey & Apple Cobbler with Snickerdoodle Cookie Crumble
