Johnny Sánchez Has Sweetbread Tacos And Tuna & Caviar Tostadas That Freaking Shimmer

This week Todd Price talks to celebrity chef BFFs Aaron Sánchez and John Besh about their brand new Johnny Sánchez expansion, now softly open at 930 Poydras (former Ste. Marie location). The restaurant plans to buck the trendy taqueria-craze of late with the street cred that comes along with having an authority on Mexican cuisine involved--Sanchez's mother is a regarded chef/restaurateur/cookbook author and Sanchez himself opened NYC's famed pan-Latin restaurant Palador in 2001. Sanchez has a history in New Orleans, believe it or not, coming here to train under Paul Prudhomme back when he was a teen. With Johnny Sanchez opening, he is now eyeing real estate to potentially move here.

As for Johnny Sanchez's quest to put all other taquerias to shame--and there are a lot with Del Fuego, Arana, and Tacos & Tequila having opened since summer alone--behold these menu highlights, courtesy of tacocat super scooper Todd Price, which will blow your mind:

Tostadas topped with raw tuna and caviar shimmered. Grilled sweetbread tacos were artfully arranged. And the familiar dish arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) practically stole the brunch with its crispy rice and pops of heat from thin rounds of serrano peppers.

No word on if Johnny Sánchez will have the killer happy hours found at other Besh restaurants, but they have already mentioned that daily specials will abound, including "slow-cooked goat in Jalisco style broth with warm housemade tortillas."

Johnny Sanchez
930 Poydras St., NOLA 70130
Phone: (504) 304-6615
Website: Facebook
Opening: This Week
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight. Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.