Landmark New Orleans Restaurant Unafraid to Feature Gulf Seafood

By FoodChannel Editor | September 20, 2010 7:30 pm

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In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill many Americans are still wary of buying seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, whether for meals at home or from a restaurant menu.

This skittishness has led many restaurants across the nation to scratch Gulf seafood from their menus.

Not Chef Tory McPhail of iconic New Orleans restaurant Commander’s Palace. ‘Any restaurateur or chef who is taking Louisiana seafood off their menu is misguided, misinformed and a little ignorant,’ McPhail told Veronica Del Bianco of Louisiana Seafood News.

Commander’s Palace, a beloved fixture in New Orleans’ garden district, has served tons of fresh seafood from the Gulf for 130 years—and the oil spill will not end that tradition. The restaurant continues to prominently feature Breaux Bridge crawfish tails, Louisiana wild white shrimp, and pecan crusted Gulf fish on Chef McPhail’s menu.

Chef Tory McPhail (center) meets with his staff

Chef McPhail makes sure the wait staff can answer any guest questions, and he regularly walks through the dining room to greet guests and personally answer any queries.

The importance of maintaining the reputation of Commander’s Palace is not lost on the chef, who follows in the footsteps of the prominent chefs who have preceded him in its kitchen, including Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.

But Chef McPhail also points out that more seafood testing needs to be done. ‘This is not over. There needs to be long-term testing,’ he says. ‘The important thing for me as a chef is to insure public safety for the years to come.’