Oysters at the Fest

[Fishin4it]

I just thought everyone should know that the Oysters at the Raw Bar in the paddock at the Fairgrounds this year will be coming from TEXAS not Louisiana and will be priced at an exhorbitant $12/dozen. The race track (who has managed the oyster bar in the past) declined this year so they brought in an outside vendor (connected from the inside-typically Jazz Fest), overcharged this vendor for a booth, and has pretty much forced him to go with the cheapest option for oysters, which is Texas, if he wants any chance to turn a profit. Demand local products at the NEW ORLEANS Jazz and Heritage Festival and support our local fisherman and seafood purveyors.

[kikimo]

wow $12 is crazy. I got them for $3 a dozen last night at Wintzell's in Mobile.

[KudzuQueen]

That's nuts. I expect to pay that in Dallas, where I live, but not in Nola. That's just wrong.

[Amy Winette]

Ha, we just paid three bucks PER OYSTER for some kumotos (sp?) this weekend. It's all relative :)

[mdfest]

YYr- $3 a dozen? Ill have a few dozen please!

[mdfest]

my avatar is hotter than yours

[Amy Winette]

my avatar is hotter than yours

No way, I got a full on embrace! :)

[Belle]

my avatar is hotter than yours

Who is the lucky lady?

[mdfest]

No way, I got a full on embrace! :)

shes trying to escape from me!

[mdfest]

Who is the lucky lady?

Ingrid Lucia at her backyard bbq.

She liked me a lot more than that photo shows

[Amy Winette]

Uh huh, right ;)

Mine's Ingird here at Jazz at Pearl's in San Fran Belle :)

[Fred (Texas JF Fanatic)]

Hey now, what is wrong with our Texas oysters? $12/dz is to high anywhere. $3.95/dz here in Houston. To much other food to worry about oysters.

[Fishin4it]

Hey now, what is wrong with our Texas oysters? $12/dz is to high anywhere. $3.95/dz here in Houston. To much other food to worry about oysters.

Nothing really wrong with Texas Oysters but I don't think they are as good as those that come from Louisiana and for sure they are not as fresh because they have to travel in refrigerated trucks here. Bottom line is that the whole idea behind the original Festival was to highlight Louisiana and its resources and culture-Food, Music and Crafts. The Fest has moved away from that and many of us who are from here would like to see that aspect return. We don't need to use Texas Oysters when we got plenty to use here.

[Fred (Texas JF Fanatic)]

I understand..........
Happy JF 07!!!!

[jonnygospeltent]

The shuckers at the fest are new at the job and always very slow ,so it;s a 10 minute wait at least.Have several dozen at Cooter Browns after the fest instead,

[Azeater]

The race track (who has managed the oyster bar in the past) declined this year so they brought in an outside vendor (connected from the inside-typically Jazz Fest), overcharged this vendor for a booth, and has pretty much forced him to go with the cheapest option for oysters, which is Texas, if he wants any chance to turn a profit.


I see nothing wrong with an expectation that the food served should be local. This is a celebration of LA. and that is how it should be. I do have an issue with someone saying what you have said and attempting to get people to not patronize a booth that someone paid money to rent and which would impose quite a financial hardship on were the people to boycott it. This is something, that given your obvious passion, should have been done quite some time back. Instead of saying negative things here two days before fest opens try putting your energy into something positive like getting the concession yourself next year and serving local product. This smacks of sour grapes to me and accomplishes nothing but hurting the people trying to make some money from their efforts.

[KudzuQueen]

I'll probably still buy $12 Texas oysters.

(ducks and runs)

[Fishin4it]

The race track (who has managed the oyster bar in the past) declined this year so they brought in an outside vendor (connected from the inside-typically Jazz Fest), overcharged this vendor for a booth, and has pretty much forced him to go with the cheapest option for oysters, which is Texas, if he wants any chance to turn a profit.

I do have an issue with someone saying what you have said and attempting to get people to not patronize a booth that someone paid money to rent and which would impose quite a financial hardship on were the people to boycott it.... Instead of saying negative things here two days before fest opens try putting your energy into something positive like getting the concession yourself next year and serving local product.

I don't see where anything I said indicates that I feel people should boycott this booth. I do not feel that way at all. I just feel people should be aware that they are not getting a Louisiana product. Perhaps if enough people demand it, especially at that price, they will provide the more superior local product.

As to getting the concession myself no thanks. First off if you don't know someone with Jazz Fest or are in someones pocket there is no chance of getting in. Secondly for what they are charging for the booth plus costs for product and labor it is hardly worth the effort. why do you think the fairgrounds declined on it. If it were a moneymaker they would have kept it themselves.

[Chicago Fest Fan]

I just paid $12 for a doz Blue point ersters here in Chicago. Maybe next time I will get the Lake Michigan oysters for $3.

[Fishin4it]

As many of you have properly pointed out the price of oysters is all relative based on where you come from and what you are used to. The thing is here in Louisiana $12/dozen, compared to days gone by, is pricey but seems to be the going rate at many oyster bars, especially in the quarter. The majority of the raw bars in the Quarter still use Louisiana Oysters, not Texas oysters. A prominant oyster bar in the riverbend, which sells them for $8/dozen, uses mostly Texas Oysters so they can afford to keep prices low. Since Katrina, oyster prices in Louisiana have risen in the neighborhood of 25%, mostly due to fewer fisherman and the damage done to the oyster beds, yet prices at Oyster Bars have gone up 50%+. Unfortunatley alot of places have used Katrina as an excuse to jack up prices on us beyond what is just passing along their increases, adding to the multitude of difficulties we face and making it increasingly difficult to just get by down here.

Two years ago a dozen at Jazz Fest was $8. Now they are $12. That is a significant increase. It could perhaps be justified if they were using the more expensive yet higher quality Louisiana product but as of now, to my knowlege, they do not plan on doing so.

[pokerchick66]

Ingrid Lucia at her backyard bbq.

She liked me a lot more than that photo shows

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o231/monica7966/MeandIngrid-1.jpg

[Zydekitten]

Ha, we just paid three bucks PER OYSTER for some kumotos (sp?) this weekend. It's all relative :)
Yum!!! I love Kumamotos . . . slurp!

I had a dozen lovely local ersters at Acme last night, but reading this thread makes me want more tonight! :D

[festivalgirl]

Yum!!! I love Kumamotos . . . slurp!

I had a dozen lovely local ersters at Acme last night, but reading this thread makes me want more tonight! :D

Tuesday ... I can make it 'til Tuesday ......... ;)