The BP oil spill's impact is being felt on restaurant menus in New Orleans and the dining scene elsewhere. But in the Big Easy, restaurateurs aren't ditching Gulf seafood. According to the Washington Post's Theresa Vargas:Restaurants in the French Quarter brag about serving homegrown Louisiana seafood, which makes up about 30 percent of the U.S. domestic product . . . there is no question that the loss of the normal supply of shrimp, blue crabs and oysters is being felt here first.
But unlike cities that are advertising non-gulf seafood, New Orleans is not abandoning local catch: it's embracing what remains.
That means crayfish -- and, to a lesser extent, alligator -- is claiming a larger spot on menus in the Big Easy. If you haven't tried alligator, give it a shot. I found it tasty.
The Post article points out that 70 percent of Louisiana's coastline remains open. So, if you're pondering a trip to New Orleans, it sounds like you will still eat darn well.
