New Orleans Chef Chef Susan Spicer Tackles Petro Bully BP

From the moment I first met Chef and James Beard Award winner Susan Spicer of Bayona in New Orleans, I was hooked. Her flavor, sophistication, sass and culinary genius were apparent and nearly overwhelming, but for her innate sense of nuance and restraint. In short the perfect balance of strong and soft. I was asked to write the forward for Winning Styles, the best compilation of James Beard Award winner profiles and recipes, I was honored. I immediately knew i wanted to highlight the profile of Chef Spicer. She was outstanding to me, even in such an esteemed group as James Beard Award winning chefs. When I read this morning that this woman was going to battle versus petro bully giant BP, I cheered. Loundly. Join me in supporting her efforts. June 28, 2010New Orleans, LouisianaBayona Corporation brought a class action lawsuit on behalf of restaurantsin New Orleans who are impacted by the ongoing oil spill. The lawsuit ismore about the restaurant industry in New Orleans than about Susan Spicerand Bayona. Spicer said, “It is not as if the situation is under control andwe are in the process of recovery. We still don’t know how long it willcontinue and how drastic the effects will be on our industry and ourculture.”In spite of the oil spill, Bayona and many New Orleans restaurants are ableto put out amazing food and meet their customers’ needs. “It is importantfor people to realize that all of great reasons to come to New Orleans stillexist,” Spicer said. Although this lawsuit encompasses current damages,prospective damages to the New Orleans restaurant industry are the primaryfocus. Spicer said, “Just as after Katrina certain restaurants were able tosurvive, we are now losing many of the smaller restaurants and seafoodrelated businesses that make up the fabric of New Orleans and the GulfCoast.”Access to local Gulf seafood is diminishing and more expensive than it wasbefore the oil spill. Despite stringent safety measures being taken toensure that no tainted seafood is sold, customers --- both locally andnationwide --- are beginning to avoid Gulf seafood products. “I have greatconfidence in my local vendors and the local products that I am serving, butI know my suppliers are suffering from the reality of a diminished supplyand the misperception that all Gulf seafood is unsafe,” said Spicer.“I’m proud to be a part of such a resilient community. I also feel stronglythat British Petroleum needs to be held accountable for its negligence,”Spicer said.Susan Spicer is the chef/owner of Bayona, Mondo, and Wild Flour Breads.Spicer also sits on the Board of the Gulf Restoration Network, anorganization in which she has been active for several years.(http://www.healthygulf.org/) The Gulf Restoration Network’s mission is uniting andempowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the GulfRegion for future generations. Spicer is also a long-standing member of theChef’s Collaborative, which focuses on sustainability issues, includingseafood.For information about this lawsuit, please contact Serena Pollack at504-589-0277 (spollack@lshah.com) or Jeffrey Hoffman at 504-589-0256(jhoffman@lshah.com).