Ellington

Writer: Merrell McGinness

This is not Lawton Haygood’s first oil spill. Perhaps that is why he remains cautiously optimistic about how the inky black stain that has spread across the Gulf of Mexico will affect his business. As owner of Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar, a large chunk of Haygood’s menu consists of Gulf oysters and shrimp, which by the end of July had crept up in price by 15 and 41 percent, respectively. For now, he plans to keep his menu unchanged.

“I figured they’d conquer this thing sooner or later,” says Haygood about the success of recent containment measures. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they release the boats to go shrimping in the next few weeks.”

That optimism can be attributed to Haygood’s first go-round with tar balls, which occurred in 1979 when his seaside restaurant in Port Aransas, Texas, took a direct hit from the Ixtoc Oil Spill. In one of the world’s largest-ever oil disasters, a two-mile-deep well in Mexico’s Bay of Campeche dumped in nine months an estimated three million barrels of oil into the Gulf — equivalent to what some experts say has been spewed into the sea by the new gusher. Eventually creeping northward, strong offshore winds pushed the crude on land, paving roughly 200 miles of Texas beachfront. A month later, however, Tropical Storm Frederic washed much of the oil back out to sea, burying it hundreds of miles off the beach. With the oil-soaked sand all but a distant memory, Haygood recalls a bumper crop of shrimp shortly after — a result of an overabundance of oil eating micro-organisms that served as a food source.

The longtime restaurateur acknowledges the current crisis is not over. His plan is to take it moment by moment, and he’s not alone. It seems everyone whose livelihood is tied to the Gulf is collectively holding their breath, waiting to see how the tragedy unfolds. Fellow seafood chef Erik Niel, owner of Easy Bistro and Bar downtown, remains somewhat less enthusiastic about recent progress. “I’m glad it finally seems to be coming to an end, but there’s not a lot of confidence this will be the true solution,” says Neil, conceding he may have to source more seafood outside of the Gulf — which goes against his regional food philosophy.

As for his menu, he plans to make small changes like offering more dishes with scallops instead of shrimp. “The good thing for me is I’ve always changed my menu seasonally, and I print them in house,” says Neil. “That’s going to prove beneficial in this situation where the unknown has been rampant.” A recent trip to the area allowed Neil to see the devastation first hand. As a native of Louisiana, he found the scene incredibly disheartening — with hundreds of miles of orange and yellow boom crisscrossing the shoreline like some gruesome crime scene, and highway barriers blocking boat launches. “The Gulf is literally closed,” he says. “It’s really sad. It’s different seeing the oil for yourself rather than on the news because you can smell it. It’s in the air, it’s all around you.”

Also in the air is the wave of depression that has hit Gulf residents harder than any hurricane. Unlike the usual bootstrap mentality after a storm, residents feel lost, unable to do anything but watch the oil wash in, he adds.

And while roughly 35 percent of the Gulf was closed to fishing and harvesting when a containment cap stopped the gushing last month after nearly three months, most local restaurant owners are not anticipating a complete drought of product. Th e spill has hit in the middle of shrimp season as well as spawning season for pelagic fish like Mahi-Mahi and tuna, whose eggs float on the water’s surface. While experts predict major killoff s for these species of fish, the effects likely won’t be felt for another three to four years, when fishermen will be out to catch this year’s hatchlings.

Of particular concern are oysters. Almost all of the oysters consumed in the United States are harvested stateside, with more than 60 percent coming from the Gulf. Most of those beds had not been slicked with oil by the end of the July, but experts cite the potential for catastrophic effects if millions of gallons floating in the Gulf reach these delicate estuaries. “If they find oil in those beds, the oyster business would be shot for a long time,” says Haygood. Precautionary closures have struck the heart of Gulf oyster production, and some smaller suppliers in affected areas have already closed up shop.

That is not good news for both Neil and Haygood, whose oysters come from the Gulf. Boathouse is one of the largest oyster houses in the nation, and Easy Bistro has become known for 25-cent oyster nights — a tradition Neil plans to keep for now. Both offer, or have offered East coast varieties but those are not as popular at almost twice the price. While higher prices might scare some items off of menus, neither chef is concerned about tainted product. “I wouldn’t worry a bit about contamination,” adds Haygood. “You can smell it immediately.”

Everyone from fisherman to government agency is being extremely careful, they say, and unconcerned regular customers continue to enjoy fresh seafood available at both restaurants. Both men plan to continue sourcing seafood from the Gulf. “I’m not giving up on the Gulf by any means,” says Neil. “It’s like a friend who is sick, you just want it to get better.”

IS IT SAFE?

While long-term availability of Gulf shrimp, oysters and fi sh remains to be seen, one thing diners do not have to worry about is contaminated product. The U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA), in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are responsible for ensuring the seafood that makes it to market is clean. According to the FDA’s website, fishing and harvesting areas will not reopen until oil is no longer present and seafood samples pass various tests. currently about 35 percent of the Gulf is closed.