OysterNight a Great Success!

When it comes to public health, it’s critical to have systems in place before an emergency. And that’s exactly what happened with the city's inaugural OysterNight, which was a part of Super Bowl Week and a resounding success despite a last minute scare. 

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On February 4th, less than 24 hours before more than 50 restaurants across New Orleans were set to celebrate and feature various types of oyster dishes, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) shut down an oyster harvesting area east of Lake Borgne after a number of people had become sick. LDH not only closed the affected area, but also immediately sprang into action to pull any oysters from purveyors, local restaurants and other places that had any of the oysters in question. 

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As Chefs Brigade Executive Director Troy Gilbert told NOLA.com’s Ian McNulty, there are longstanding developed health protocols that are there to respond to any concerns.

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“The system is robust. It did exactly what it was supposed to do," Gilbert said.

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With one area closed, that left another 27 oyster harvesting areas still available with plenty of the delicious bivalves for tourists and locals alike to enjoy. Starting around lunch time, crowds of diners began fanning across metropolitan New Orleans for participating restaurants. For Super Bowl fans staying in the French Quarter, they didn’t have to travel far with Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Acme Oyster House and others close by.

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In Central City, Chef Gary Netter, Chefs Brigade board member and chef/owner of Wholistic Culinary Market was preparing chargrilled oysters outside, while the Salted Pearl in the St. Roch Market offered charbroiled and raw. Not to be outdone, Deanie’s in Bucktown delivered their standard oyster favorites including fried oyster po’boys, seafood platters, raw and charbroiled. 

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Other eateries like Care Forgot Beercraft that don’t normally feature bivalves stretched their culinary muscles. For OysterNight, Beercraft created a thin crust pizza with basil and roasted oysters, and also partnered with Bayou Rosa Oysters from Leeville, which is where the oyster reef restoration project had taken place earlier in the week, for a raw bar featuring Bayou Rosa’s off-bottom oysters.

Chefs Brigade has teamed up with Coalition to Restore to Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) for numerous years to recycle oyster shells from our restaurant partners. CRCL’s Communication Director James Karst, who is a competitive oyster eater and stopped by many of the participating restaurants that day, feels it was a terrific success on multiple levels. 

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“OysterNight brought huge numbers of residents and visitors into the New Orleans area’s best-known restaurants, and it generated tons of shells that we’ll return to the water to slow land loss,” says Karst.  “It also showcased Louisiana’s oyster industry to the world with chefs creating delicious and interesting dishes featuring oysters.”

The Leeville oyster reef restoration took place just two days prior, and Chefs Brigade partnered with NFL Green, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), Force Blue, and Verizon along with hundreds of volunteers. The restoration involved moving bags of recycled oyster shells that were collected from Louisiana restaurants as part of CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program (OSRP). Fifty nine tons of shells were used–the largest one day total for a CRCL project–and as CRCL’s OSRP Manager Darrah Bach explains,  OSRP, restaurants and shells play an important role in coastal restoration.

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“Louisiana’s coastal ecosystems are integral to sustaining local cultures and economies,” Bach says. “The Oyster Shell Recycling Program has measurable impacts in slowing the rate of land loss, providing oyster habitat and habitat for other critical marine species. The OSRP opens the door to environmental advocacy, providing multiple touchpoints for engaging with coastal restoration for restaurant patrons, community members, businesses and industry.”

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With so many shells used for the Leeville project, it was important to replenish the supply, and OysterNight did a great job, bringing in more than six tons. Chefs Brigade’s Gilbert wasn’t surprised by the turnout, and expects even more shells and diners for the next OysterNight.

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“We described the event as The Protein that Built New Orleans and it’s even more than that,” Gilbert says. “Now with coastal erosion, oysters and their shells can play a fundamental part in saving New Orleans and Louisiana, preserving land and culture. And, of course, it comes down to the multiple delicious ways that our partner chefs, restaurants and others prepare the oysters. OysterNight is truly about “eat an oyster, save the coast.”

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Chefs Brigade is planning to hold the next OysterNight on Thursday, September 18, 2025. Details to follow.  

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