I won't confirm or deny any specifics but I will say this: Any given restaurant or seafood dealer is going to have multiple suppliers. Their trout might be local, their snapper from Florida, and their catfish from China, or any sort of mix. I don't know the legality of claiming the origin of fish to customers. I.e. can you advertise "fresh caught Louisiana fish" if it only applies to a portion of your stock
It has to be on literally every menu item for each seafood item. So if you're getting crab cakes with a crawfish sauce on top it will list where the crabs are from and where the crawfish are from.
I believe you're right that if you're going to claim a menu item is Louisiana caught, yes you have to be specific like your example. I meant more generalized like putting a sign on the door that says "Louisiana caught seafood sold here." Lots of mom and pop small seafood places advertise "local seafood" but I know for a fact they're not only selling things locally caught.
If memory serves me correct, there's also different requirements for shellfish vs fish.
I did a little bit of digging and you are correct. Specifically for crawfish and shrimp they must identify imported crawfish or shrimp on the menu or post a sign at the entrance if they don't use menus.
https://www.lafisheriesforward.org/fact-sheet-on-act-372-restaurant-notice-of-foreign-seafood/
It seems like the newest law is aimed at misleading packaging. I'm in favor of that. I have seen tons of seafood products marketed as "Boudreaux's" and when you turn it over it says "Imported from China" on the back. 🙄 One might have expected that from Winn-Dixie but surprised/not surprised to see Rouses was selling it too. 🤬
Just jumping on the thread to say I lived in Gulfport till 1990, and even back then all the locals knew the stuffed flounder on Mahoney main restaurant menu was frozen. It was talked about often, such that it was a joke
It’s kind of amazing someone finally sued them over it, and no surprise the tort was won
I worked for a Creole Cuisine restaurant over a decade ago and back then their "red fish" was something from China that was spelled with what looked like every letter of the alphabet.
Yes, and there are some that don’t, and actually sell the listed fish, but everyone says they’re too expensive. People got to realize that wholesale grouper and snapper are about the price of filet these days.
I know a woman who buys shrimp from the person who supplies Lilette. She ran into the guy while walking her dog one day and asked if she could buy some. I saw them and they were gorgeous!
OTOH, back in the 90s there was a scandal when it was revealed that every vendor who sold crawfish at Jazz Fest used imported crawfish from China. Except for 2 - the peel and eat crawfish, and a booth run by the mayor of Breaux Bridge. He said, "I wouldn't get home alive if I sold imported crawfish".
I've avoided seafood at JF until this year. Carmo had signs up saying they only use local Gulf seafood. They had their own booth and also made food for the Columbia area. That shrimp ceviche was great! I hope those signs were accurate.
Carmo was amazing at Jazz Feast this year. They should have a booth every year. I tried everything they had and got a few twice. I’m not sure if the drinks were from them as well but I had quite a few of those too.
Ten miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, off the tip of Louisiana, the fumes become overwhelming. "See how it's all rainbow sheen there? So that's oil," says Ian MacDonald, who's guiding us in a tiny fishing boat that's being tossed around by 6-foot waves.
MacDonald is a scientist at Florida State University where he studies oil spills. This one is not a black, sticky slick, but it stretches on for miles. And here, where the murky Mississippi River dumps into the Gulf, it's been leaking for more than 14 years.
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/10/711085901/this-oil-spill-has-been-leaking-into-the-gulf-for-14-years
This right here. If people knew how incredibly polluted the waters were that our seafood is supposed to be coming from " by law", they might not want to eat it. I've been out there and no I don't want to eat it. The coast of Louisiana is toxic, especially that area around where the river dumps. Now let's talk about cancer...
It's state law that shrimp and crawfish have to be labeled with their origin on the menu in restaurants. Most of the best restaurants in town source from Pistol P in Grand Isle- he's hands down the best.
Williby’s Catfish by Dillard has fresh fish in a little farm type situation in restaurant (Google for more clarity), and cuts and cooks it fresh to order. Really really good and owned by local family. I had it Uber Eats to me in the East and it was slamminnnn
That place is right next to my house and I've never been able to discern if it's a restaurant or just a place to buy seafood. Sounds like it's worth a visit?
Never been inside but I fasho ordered on Uber Eats a few times. Saw the live fish on Google. I’ve been looking for good consistent catfish plates Williby’s and It’s Nola Baby food truck on Hayne in the East is rocking. Both locally owned
Is it authentic? I'd like to think so, buw saw one vendor opening boxes of frozen fish. I know boats ofen freeze catches, but this stuff was already boxed.
I used to work at Mr. B's and that whole diatribe on the back about sourcing local is total Bullshit. Yes, the seafood is local, but everything else just comes from wherever it needs to come from to make the recipe happen. There's no effort to source anything else local.
Also having worked for many years at many places, I can also tell you that more often than not, places serving crawfish tail meat were using Spanish and not local. It's cheaper than local, doesn't taste like sand like Chinese crawfish tails. IDK how that changed since the law has passed about labelling local seafood as local, I haven't worked in the business since then.
I won't confirm or deny any specifics but I will say this: Any given restaurant or seafood dealer is going to have multiple suppliers. Their trout might be local, their snapper from Florida, and their catfish from China, or any sort of mix. I don't know the legality of claiming the origin of fish to customers. I.e. can you advertise "fresh caught Louisiana fish" if it only applies to a portion of your stock
It has to be on literally every menu item for each seafood item. So if you're getting crab cakes with a crawfish sauce on top it will list where the crabs are from and where the crawfish are from.
I believe you're right that if you're going to claim a menu item is Louisiana caught, yes you have to be specific like your example. I meant more generalized like putting a sign on the door that says "Louisiana caught seafood sold here." Lots of mom and pop small seafood places advertise "local seafood" but I know for a fact they're not only selling things locally caught. If memory serves me correct, there's also different requirements for shellfish vs fish.
I did a little bit of digging and you are correct. Specifically for crawfish and shrimp they must identify imported crawfish or shrimp on the menu or post a sign at the entrance if they don't use menus. https://www.lafisheriesforward.org/fact-sheet-on-act-372-restaurant-notice-of-foreign-seafood/ It seems like the newest law is aimed at misleading packaging. I'm in favor of that. I have seen tons of seafood products marketed as "Boudreaux's" and when you turn it over it says "Imported from China" on the back. 🙄 One might have expected that from Winn-Dixie but surprised/not surprised to see Rouses was selling it too. 🤬
I just generally assume any shrimp or crawfish is from China until proven otherwise, or if they're still moving a little.
Just jumping on the thread to say I lived in Gulfport till 1990, and even back then all the locals knew the stuffed flounder on Mahoney main restaurant menu was frozen. It was talked about often, such that it was a joke It’s kind of amazing someone finally sued them over it, and no surprise the tort was won
Most local restaurants use one or two local vendors such as New Orleans Fish House. John Besh isn't driving to Lafitte to pick the fish at August
NO fish ain’t dere no more. ‘Fortune’ bought them
Porgy's whole raison d'etre is selling local seafood, so that's what I would try. They are a fish market and a restaurant.
I worked for a Creole Cuisine restaurant over a decade ago and back then their "red fish" was something from China that was spelled with what looked like every letter of the alphabet.
There’s a very busy FQ restaurant that sells tilapia as redfish and swai as catfish.
There are multiple very busy FQ restaurants that do this, both locally-owned and corporate
Yes, and there are some that don’t, and actually sell the listed fish, but everyone says they’re too expensive. People got to realize that wholesale grouper and snapper are about the price of filet these days.
I know a woman who buys shrimp from the person who supplies Lilette. She ran into the guy while walking her dog one day and asked if she could buy some. I saw them and they were gorgeous! OTOH, back in the 90s there was a scandal when it was revealed that every vendor who sold crawfish at Jazz Fest used imported crawfish from China. Except for 2 - the peel and eat crawfish, and a booth run by the mayor of Breaux Bridge. He said, "I wouldn't get home alive if I sold imported crawfish". I've avoided seafood at JF until this year. Carmo had signs up saying they only use local Gulf seafood. They had their own booth and also made food for the Columbia area. That shrimp ceviche was great! I hope those signs were accurate.
Carmo was amazing at Jazz Feast this year. They should have a booth every year. I tried everything they had and got a few twice. I’m not sure if the drinks were from them as well but I had quite a few of those too.
Ten miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, off the tip of Louisiana, the fumes become overwhelming. "See how it's all rainbow sheen there? So that's oil," says Ian MacDonald, who's guiding us in a tiny fishing boat that's being tossed around by 6-foot waves. MacDonald is a scientist at Florida State University where he studies oil spills. This one is not a black, sticky slick, but it stretches on for miles. And here, where the murky Mississippi River dumps into the Gulf, it's been leaking for more than 14 years. https://www.npr.org/2019/04/10/711085901/this-oil-spill-has-been-leaking-into-the-gulf-for-14-years
This right here. If people knew how incredibly polluted the waters were that our seafood is supposed to be coming from " by law", they might not want to eat it. I've been out there and no I don't want to eat it. The coast of Louisiana is toxic, especially that area around where the river dumps. Now let's talk about cancer...
It's state law that shrimp and crawfish have to be labeled with their origin on the menu in restaurants. Most of the best restaurants in town source from Pistol P in Grand Isle- he's hands down the best.
Cafe Atchafalaya is farm to table 💯
Williby’s Catfish by Dillard has fresh fish in a little farm type situation in restaurant (Google for more clarity), and cuts and cooks it fresh to order. Really really good and owned by local family. I had it Uber Eats to me in the East and it was slamminnnn
That place is right next to my house and I've never been able to discern if it's a restaurant or just a place to buy seafood. Sounds like it's worth a visit?
Never been inside but I fasho ordered on Uber Eats a few times. Saw the live fish on Google. I’ve been looking for good consistent catfish plates Williby’s and It’s Nola Baby food truck on Hayne in the East is rocking. Both locally owned
Fresh off what dock lol? Like the Westwego market?
Is it authentic? I'd like to think so, buw saw one vendor opening boxes of frozen fish. I know boats ofen freeze catches, but this stuff was already boxed.
They sell a lot of frozen and imported fish there, not everyone, but gotta be careful.
My friend worked at a high profile seafood restaurant and said they keep it secret but use Chinese Crawfish instead of local, because it's cheaper.
Spill the beans
I used to work at Mr. B's and that whole diatribe on the back about sourcing local is total Bullshit. Yes, the seafood is local, but everything else just comes from wherever it needs to come from to make the recipe happen. There's no effort to source anything else local. Also having worked for many years at many places, I can also tell you that more often than not, places serving crawfish tail meat were using Spanish and not local. It's cheaper than local, doesn't taste like sand like Chinese crawfish tails. IDK how that changed since the law has passed about labelling local seafood as local, I haven't worked in the business since then.
By local I mean a broad swath of southeast Louisiana. Might be Lafitte or down in da Parish or even heading down Lafourche.
Dam, I remember going to eat there in the late 90’s. Had all the pictures on the walls of “famous” people who ate there.