From fishermen in the gulf to the kitchens of New Orleans, many in the restaurant business have been hurt due to the April 20 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A criminal lawsuit filed against BP is meant to correct that per theNew York Times.
Famed chef Susan Spicer is on the front burner in representing chefs, restaurant owners and seafood suppliers. Ms. Spicer, garnering national attention for being a Top Chef judge, James Beard " Best Chef" winner, is also the inspiration for the HBO series "Treme". The new HBO show, coincidentally enough, is a drama based on life in New Orleans post Katrina.
Fighting criticism from bloggers, Ms. Spicer is accused of being in it for the money alone. In more of a display of "solidarity" than "getting a piece of the pie" Ms. Spicer's attorney, Serena Pollack, filed suit for restaurant and seafood sellers suffering since the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Using fresh seafood is a trademark that vacationers expect when visiting the region. Instead, they are currently greeted with minimal and expensive choices. If seafood is available at all guests are afraid of contamination, either from the oil itself or the chemicals that were used to manage it. There is also the threat of less tourism and convention business now in the area. The entire complaint filed is 18 pages.
Ms. Spicer's French Quarter restaurant Bayona, one of the two restaurants she is currently affiliated with, is known for a signature dish of Gulf shrimp and black bean cake. Her own recently published cookbook, "Crescent City Cooking", is filled with Gulf seafood recipes. Louisiana is a well-known destination for quality seafood.
Franky and Johnny's seafood restaurant has joined in the claim, Upperline Restaurant has plans too, and a total of seven restaurants owners and suppliers have been reported to be included in the criminal lawsuit. Jeff Hinton, Emeril Lagasse's public relations manager, is closely monitoring any impact on their businesses but has not joined the suit.
This is not the first time that New Orleans restaurants have been hurt; Hurricane Katrina, and the devastation that followed, closed many industries for months. In finally getting back some of what was lost, being faced with more suffering can be disastrously fatal to both small and large businesses. This suit is striving to help all five Gulf states.
A hearing is scheduled for July 27 with a federal panel. The plaintiffs are trying to keep the case from being a consolidated suit in Houston, as many oil companies are headquartered there and that venue choice may be detrimental. There are more than 200 lawsuits against BP's responsibility in spilling 1.5 to 2.5 million gallons of oil every day into the ocean.
This lawsuit, seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, names not only BP but also Transocean Ltd for the rig's operation, Cameron International Corp for the blowout preventer and Halliburton Co that had provided cementing services.
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