Grand Isle Jewels: Off-Bottom Oysters

While Kirk Curole might be “retired” his days are full and filled with curiosity and a joy that a Palm Beach retiree could only dream about. The Grand Isle native spent his career working in the oil and gas industry, but in 2017, he discovered off-bottom oyster farming, and with an initial investment of 2,000 seed oysters, he has transformed it into harvesting 80,000 oysters in 2024 from his oyster farm, Bayside Oysters, off the Grand Isle coast. 

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Off-bottom refers to how the oysters are grown in floating cages rather than directly on the seabed or ocean floor. Unlike wild oysters, which are harvested by dredging oyster reefs, off-bottom oysters are lovingly cultivated by farmers. Because each oyster is so frequently tended and inspected, the result is a boutique oyster with controlled salinities and size.

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A typical day for Curole is spent in the water, going through individual bags of maturing oysters to see if it’s time to move them to the next development stage bag and eventually to market. And it gives him an opportunity to notice his surroundings and revel in the moment.

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“It fills in the gaps,” Curole says. “I’m swimming with the dolphins, sorting oysters and listening to yacht rock.”

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Curole is one of the growing number of off-bottom oyster farmers working the waters and oyster grounds of Grand Isle, which is experiencing a comeback in oyster production. Recently, the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO),  Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Sea Grant, the Grand Isle Port Commission Town of Grand Isle, and all Grand Isle off-bottom oyster farmers, launched Grand Isle Jewels, a brand umbrella for these tasty, year round oysters. Similar to the marketing of wines by region such as Napa Valley in California, the farmers retain their individual brand and align under the Jewel umbrella. 

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Chefs Brigade has been collaborating with JEDCO and is excited to announce that JEDCO will be partnering with Chefs Brigade for the Jefferson Parish Bicentennial celebration at Lakeside Mall on June 14, with nearly 20 Chefs Brigade restaurant partners also providing food. Chefs Brigade and JEDCO are sponsoring a raw oyster bar stocked with Grand Isle Jewels from Topwater Oyster Co.; Little Moon Oyster Co.; Island Oyster Co.; Silver Spoon Oysters; and Back Bay Oyster Company. Island Oyster, Silver Spoon and Back Bay are also working with the GO FISH Coalition, which is a nonprofit that has become an off-bottom oyster company business incubator.

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JEDCO’s Grand Isle Jewels is backed by grants from the state via Louisiana Economic Development, and while it’s primarily focused on marketing, there have also been other groups trying to bring back oyster farming to Grand Isle, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Grand Isle Port Commission and Louisiana Sea Grant. Louisiana Sea Grant’s Oyster Lab and the Michael C. Voisin Oyster Hatchery on Grand Isle has both research and commercial-scale larval rearing capabilities, making seed oysters available to farmers. 

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JEDCO's Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy Annalisa Kelly explains that the new umbrella brand name has multiple meanings. It’s a playful recognition of Grand Isle’s colorful pirate history, and the artisanal quality of the off-bottom oysters. 

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“However, most importantly to the oyster farmers and us,” says Kelly.  “It's a nod to Jules Melancon, a longtime oyster farmer who really pioneered the off-bottom oyster cultivation technique in this area.”

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Kelly says that the strategy behind the concept is pretty straight forward. Since there is already a great group of oyster farmers producing these tasty bivalves–just as there are for instance a number of different vineyards producing Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley–why not create a memorable umbrella brand name that can reach a broader audience and highlight what is happening there?

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“We were really excited to support that because the seafood industry is so important to not just Jefferson Parish but the region,” Kelly says. “It’s a targeted sector for us to help grow because it’s an economic sector and it’s also a huge part of our culture.”

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From Chefs Brigade’s perspective, supporting Grand Isle Jewels falls in line with the organization’s mission to support programs that strengthen the foodscape of the Gulf Coast region. Chefs Brigade’s Executive Director Troy Gilbert notes that oyster farming has a long history in Grand Isle.

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“For more than 150 years, there was a productive wild oyster industry in Grand Isle that fell off in the 1980s because of environmental changes and a poor economy,” says Gilbert. “Now with off-bottom farming, it’s about returning the oyster to its former greatness. And at Chefs Brigade we want to make sure that we’re connecting these farmers with our restaurants and chefs.”

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To that end, Chefs Brigade has been doing scouting missions with its Chefs on Boats (CoB) program, an immersive educational experience where chefs and foodservice workers are exposed to the Louisiana and the Gulf Coast fisheries. Gilbert says he’s interested in expanding CoB so it could include separate trips to Grand Isle for oysters and also Laffite for shrimp. 

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“Despite significant challenges, our fishers, shrimpers and oyster farmers continue to produce an incredible bounty of seafood for our state and beyond,” Gilbert says. “We want to not only spotlight that but also forge a bond between those who are harvesting this seafood and the restaurants who use it to create something unforgettable and delicious.”

‍Interested in joining OysterNight on September 18? If your restaurant would like to be part of this New Orleans Area-wide bonanza, please contact us at info@chefsbrigade.org.