Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries

Renowned chefs from the Gulf region will share their passion for local, sustainable seafood at Audubon Nature Institute’s second annual Summer of Sustainability dinner series launching on Thursday, June 1, at 6:30 p.m. and continuing through August. Tickets are going fast! Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

“The first dinner on June 1 is all about oysters, working as both the kickoff to the Summer of Sustainability and the New Orleans Oyster Festival, taking place June 3-4 in Woldenberg Riverfront Park,” said John Fallon, G.U.L.F.’s Assistant Director. “Audubon and Oyster Fest are working closely this year to highlight the importance of having a healthy, sustainable Louisiana oyster industry.”

Hosted by Audubon’s sustainable seafood program, Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.), the dinner series raises awareness about seafood sustainability and highlights local chefs working to support Gulf of Mexico fisheries.

“These dinners are a fun, easy, and delicious way for the public to learn about and support sustainable seafood,” continued Fallon. “The amount of culinary talent we have behind this is just astounding, and a testament to how important the issue of seafood sustainability is for us here on the Gulf Coast.”

G.U.L.F.’s Chef Council and Restaurant Partners, comprised of some of New Orleans’ best chefs, will present all-inclusive, multi-course dinners in front of the breathtaking Gulf of Mexico habitat at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

Spearheaded by Tenney Flynn, Chef/Co-Owner of New Orleans restaurant GW Fins, the Chef Council partners with Audubon to spotlight the importance of promoting local, sustainable seafood.

“Seeing the expanded number of talented chefs participating in this dinner series is exciting because it provides a much wider reach to educate consumers about the bounty of seafood available in our backyard, furthering the mission of the Audubon G.U.L.F. program,” said Flynn.

Participating Chefs and Restaurants (subject to change):
• Tenney Flynn-GW Fins
• Susan Spicer-Bayona
• Ryan Prewitt-Peche
• Brian Landry-Borgne
• Alan Ehrich-Audubon Tea Room
• Cory Bahr-Restaurant Cotton
• Alex Harrell-Angeline
• Jason Goodenough-Carrollton Market
• Dana Honn-Carmo
• Allison Richard-High Hat Café
• Alfred Singleton-Café Sbisa
• Austin Kirzner-Red Fish Grill
• Acme Oyster House
• Ruby Bloch – Cavan
• Chris Lynch – Commander’s Palace

tuna-fete

There’s nothing fishy about Carrollton Market’s tribute to National Seafood Month….but the menu certainly is! In partnership with Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.), on October 25th at 7:00 p.m., Carrollton Market will host Tuna Fête, a six-course dinner dedicated to locally sourced seafood, specifically tuna.

“We do our best to source ingredients from the community, ” says Jason Goodenough, chef/owner of Carrollton Market. “We are fortunate to have amazing local fishermen and farmers who provide a wide variety of top quality fish and seafood.” Restricting the menu to feature only tuna was a creative challenge, he adds.

Each course will highlight a different preparation of tuna. Guests will enjoy Chef Goodenough’s versions of Tuna Nicoise, Tuna Carpaccio, and of course, seared Yellowfin Tuna. Even the roasted veal loin will be accompanied by a tuna mayonnaise.

“National Seafood Month is all about celebrating local, sustainable seafood, and there is no better way to do that than by dining at one of our restaurant partners, ” says John Fallon, Assistant Director of the G.U.L.F. program. “This dinner is a great example of the commitment Carrollton Market has made to the Gulf seafood industry and sustainability.”

Only forty guests will be seated for Tuna Fete. The cost is $150/person with beverage pairings and $100/person without pairings. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Audubon Nature Institute’s G.U.L.F. program.

To reserve a seat, call Carrollton Market at (504) 252-9928.

About Carrollton Market

Carrollton Market is a modern Louisiana bistro in New Orleans founded in March 2014 by chef and owner Jason Goodenough. Founded with the vision of creating the best restaurant in New Orleans, the restaurant draws from local farmers and fisherman to ensure the highest quality food. Carrollton Market is open for dinner Tuesday – Saturday from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. and for brunch Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To learn more, visit carrolltonmarket.com.

Follow Carrollton Market on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

On Thursday, June 30, 2016, G.U.L.F. appeared on the local New Orleans station WWL with the chair of the G.U.L.F. Chef Council, Tenney Flynn. Check out the clip below to see Chef Tenney cook up some amazing seafood to whet your appetite for the Summer of Sustainability!

Building on the great success of last year’s event, Great Chefs for G.U.L.F., Audubon Nature Institute’s sustainable seafood program Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) is celebrating the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico all summer.

The Summer of Sustainability is a dinner series hosted at Audubon attractions, featuring the chefs of the G.U.L.F. Chef Council and Restaurant Partnership Program.

G.U.L.F. would like to formally invite you to join us for dinner, and enjoy the culinary adventure that awaits you at Audubon Nature Institute.

Participating Chefs and Restaurants (subject to change):
Cory Bahr, Restaurant Cotton
Jana Billiot, Restaurant R’evolution
Corbin Brand, Audubon Clubhouse Café
Alan Ehrich, Audubon Nature Institute
Bourbon House
Kristen Essig, Coquette
Tenney Flynn, GW Fins
Alex Harrell, Angeline
Ryan Hughes, Purloo
Brian Landry, Borgne
Chris Lynch, Atchafalaya
Ryan Prewitt, Peche
Peter Sclafani, Ruffino’s
Susan Spicer, Bayona
Jeremy Wolgamott, High Hat Café

Audubon Clubhouse Café

July 9, 2016
Event Details
SOLD OUT

Audubon Aquarium of the Amercas

August 4, 2016
Event Details
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Audubon Zoo Swamp Exhibit

September 15, 2016
Event Details
SOLD OUT
Join Waiting List

bycatch 2015 Bycatch, often referred to as “trash fish, ” is becoming a hot culinary trend nationwide. When fishermen go out, they target certain species. Sometimes, other species are caught, and these are usually thrown back because they are not seen as valuable. In other words, the fishermen can’t get as much money for them. Chefs are starting to demand these bycatch species at their restaurants to offer something different for customers. Often, these underutilized species are just as delicious as their more known counterparts, but they don’t have the name recognition. One example is blue runner. This is an open water fish commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico that many people have never heard of, but blue runner have a similar taste as tuna.

Blue runner is one of the species that was highlighted at the Bycatch Happy Hour at Carmo on June 4. This event, which was a collaboration with Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) and the New Orleans Eat Local Challenge, encouraged guests to try something a little outside of their comfort zone.

“I think it’s part of the focus on getting what’s local and adding diversity to your diet, of tapping into more of what’s really out there, ” said John Fallon, Assistant Director of Outreach and Engagement for G.U.L.F. “The trouble with serving this kind of seafood is the consistency. You don’t always know what you’re going to get because, by its nature, it isn’t a targeted catch. But when there’s more of a market for different types of fish, more fishermen will take care of what they catch and people can get better access to it.”

For more information about Carmo’s Bycatch Happy Hour, and the Trash Fish movement in New Orleans, visit the New Orleans Advocate.

We have officially become a Sustainable Seafood Affiliate with FishChoice, a business-to-business website that connects parties with a common interest in supplying and providing sustainable seafood. FishChoice’s restaurant finder is an interactive tool that features G.U.L.F’s ten restaurant partners, as well as other restaurants around the country committed to serving responsibly sourced seafood to their guests. We are excited to provide information regarding inshore fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico to like-minded businesses interested in supporting the sustainability of this region.

Article from nola.com

2014 was an incredible year for G.U.L.F.! We made huge strides, and look forward to continuing to unite the Gulf seafood industry in 2015. Here are some of our biggest accomplishments from the past year:

1. Start of Marine Advancement Plans

The start of 2014 marked the launch of our Marine Advancement Plan (MAP) project. MAPs are a tool to communicate the sustainability of Gulf fisheries to retailers, restaurants, or other businesses who want to know detailed information about the sustainability and management of Gulf State fisheries. In addition, MAPs will also identify areas within state management where advancements can be made to be consistent with an international standard of sustainability, Food and Agriculture Organization Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries Management. We are currently working on six MAPs.

Texas Blue Crab

Texas Shrimp

Mississippi Blue Crab

Alabama Blue Crab

Florida Stone Crab

Florida Blue Crab

2. Launch of AudubonGULF.org

In March, we debuted our new website. Designed as a tool to educate businesses and consumers about sustainability and Gulf fisheries, AudubonGULF.org houses details about our work, species information, and the latest news and events pertaining to Gulf seafood. Check in regularly for updates on our projects.

3. Outreach and Industry Engagement

G.U.L.F. is a regional program dedicated to the sustainability of state fisheries across the Gulf Coast. It is our goal to do outreach and education, as well as industry engagement, across all five Gulf States. We were incredibly busy in 2014 to achieve this goal, and have been successful. At festivals and outreach events, we encourage consumers to support local, domestic Gulf seafood for its unique taste, high quality, and rigorous management that ensures its sustainability. We have traveled outside our region across the country to spread this message. During our travels we interview members of the industry, from harvesters to retailers, to hear their experiences with Gulf fisheries, how we can enhance the industry, and how they can get involved with our work.

4. Launch of Chef Council

chef council hi res

In October, G.U.L.F announced our formation of the G.U.L.F. Chef Council, a group of ten chefs dedicated to sourcing sustainable Gulf of Mexico seafood in their restaurants. Chaired by Chef Tenney Flynn of GW Fins, the Chef Council will partner with G.U.L.F. to act as a voice for promoting local, sustainable seafood.

5. G.U.L.F Certification Standard

Over the last two years, G.U.L.F. has been working on developing a standard that will certify Gulf of Mexico fisheries as sustainable. In December, we opened the first draft of the standard to public comment to ensure voices from the industry could be heard as we continue to move forward with this project. The first round of comments will be accepted until February 5th. Send an email to gulf@auduboninstitute.org to submit your comment.

Each year the National Restaurant Association, an organization dedicated to supporting the food-service industry, releases a report that projects the top culinary trends for the upcoming year. Environmental sustainability has been high on the list over the last couple of years, and according to the report, locally sourced meat and seafood is the hottest trend in the culinary world. Also making the Top 20 list are hyper-local sourcing, sustainable seafood, and non-traditional fish. The ten chefs on the G.U.L.F. Chef Council are also dedicated to these principals, and you can find local, sustainable, and often non-traditional fish at their restaurants.

Full 2015 Culinary Forecast

Project Coordinator, John Fallon, and Chef Tenney Flynn were invited onto local station WWL to discuss the formation of G.U.L.F’s new Chef Council. Together, this council will advocate for U.S. Gulf of Mexico fisheries by serving it in their restaurants and encouraging their patrons to support the local seafood industry. In addition, the council will serve in an advisory capacity as G.U.L.F. develops a restaurant partnership program to encourage businesses across the Gulf Coast to join us in our support of Gulf fisheries.

October 2, 2014

Yesterday was a big day for Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.). To kick of National Seafood Month Audubon Nature Institute officials along with influential local chefs from the Gulf region gathered yesterday at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas’ Geaux Fish! exhibit, a gallery dedicated to the marine resourced and rich fisheries of Louisiana. We announced the formation of a Chef Council to promote local, sustainable seafood harvested from U.S. fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico.

“Sustainability of our fisheries is a critical issue which reaches into many areas of our lives here in Southeast Louisiana,” said Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman. “It’s a good time for partnerships such as this one. Our goal is to develop ideas that will prove effective not just in our own backyard, but in fisheries across the globe.”

This summer, G.U.L.F. announced our partnersihp with Chef Tenney Flynn, Executive Chef/Co-Owner of New Orleans Restaurant GW Fins. Chef Flynn spearheaded the development of the Chef Council, who will partner with G.U.L.F. to act as a voice for promoting local, sustainable seafood.

“As chefs, we thrive on the ability to use fresh, diverse, and quality products, and the Gulf offers that up to us in spades,” said Flynn. “We’re fortunate to have such a great resource right in our backyard, and with that comes the responsibility to conserve this valuable resource that defines the culture and economy of our entire region. The G.U.L.F. program has taken on that responsibility and they are actively involved with our seafood industry to ensure the long term sustainability of our fisheries.”

Joining Flynn on the Chef Council are: Susan Spicer, Chef/Owner, Bayona and Mondo; Brian Landry, Executive Chef, Borgne; Ryan Prewitt, Chef/Partner, Peche Seafood Grill; Chris Lusk, Chef de Cuisine, Restaurant R’evolution; Adolfo Garcia, Chef/Partner La Boca and High Hat Cafe; Christopher Lynch, Executive Chef, Atchafalaya; Kristen Essig, Executive Chef, Meauxbar; Cory Bahr, Chef/Owner, Restaurant Cotton and Nonna; and Alan Ehrich, Executive Chef, Audubon Nature Institute.

chef release With the council’s guidance, G.U.L.F. plans to expand its initiative with the creation of a restaurant partnership program to promote the use of Gulf seafood in restaurants and to educate local chefs, restaurant staff, and patrons about seafood sustainability in the region.

Sustainable Seafood Dinners Presented by Audubon G.U.L.F.’s Chef Council

Tuna-Fete at Carrollton Market October 25

Summer of Sustainability on WWL

G.U.L.F. Invites You to the Summer of Sustainability

Audubon Clubhouse Café

Audubon Aquarium of the Amercas

Audubon Zoo Swamp Exhibit

Underutilized Fish Gaining Momentum in New Orleans

Audubon sustainable seafood program becomes national FishChoice Affiliate

Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries in 2014: A Year in Review

Sustainability Top Culinary Trend for 2015

G.U.L.F. and Chef Tenney Flynn Interviewed on WWL

G.U.L.F. Announces Chef Council

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