Who's behind the oysters we eat?

by Allison Aplin on August 21, 2024 | Reprinted from NC Oyster Trail e-newsletter

The NC Oyster Trail showcases a diverse array of people who bring local seafood to your plate, including fishmongers, award-winning chefs, shellfish growers, and wild harvesters.

Who are our fishmongers? A fishmonger is someone who sells seafood, typically at wholesale or retail markets, and is trained in selecting, preparing, and merchandising this delicious source of protein.

Meet NC Oyster Trail fishmonger Captain Johnathan Mallette of
Southern Breeze Seafood in Jacksonville

Captain John Mallette is a native of Sneads Ferry and a commercial and charter fishing captain. He is also the co-owner of Southern Breeze Seafood, a seafood market in Jacksonville. Southern Breeze prioritizes fresh, local seafood and provides transparent sourcing information to help customers make responsible seafood choices.

“Captain John is the epitome of southeastern North Carolina fishermen,” says Keith Rhodes, whose Wilmington restaurant Catch has been showcasing the chef’s own passion for North Carolina seafood since 2006. “He grew up in the industry and the lifestyle of a fisherman. I always saw him by the water, either on the docks or on the boats. He’s a real lifer in seafood.”

Oysters can be prepared so many different ways! NC Oyster Trail restaurants serve them raw, chargrilled, steamed, and roasted. Chefs enhance the flavor and presentation of oysters by adding their own unique ingredients and styles.

Meet NC Oyster Trail award-winning Chef Sunny Gerhart of
St. Roch Oyster Bar in Raleigh

Chef Sunny Gerhart was nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Southeast” award in 2024. Since 2017, he has been bringing New Orleans-inspired flavors to Raleigh at his restaurant St. Roch Fine Oysters & Bar. In May 2024, Esquire named St. Roch one of the top oyster bars in America. It boasts the largest selection of oysters in our state’s capital!

Chefs wouldn’t have such a wide variety of N.C. oysters to choose from without the contributions of our shellfish growers. Oyster aquaculture, also known as mariculture or oyster farming, is essential to meet the demand for oysters in North Carolina, as there aren’t enough wild-caught oysters to satisfy this need.

Meet NC Oyster Trail shellfish grower Katherine McGlade of
Slash Creek Oyster Company on Hatteras Island

Katherine McGlade and her husband Spurgeon Stowe operate Slash Creek Oyster Company on Hatteras Island, where they are committed to creating a legacy of oyster farming as a vital industry in North Carolina. Their oysters are grown in exceptionally clean waters near the fishing village of Hatteras. They are nourished by the briny ocean and Pamlico Sound, which results in a unique flavor that is often praised. Slash Creek Oyster Farm also offers tours that include a ride on their oyster boat The Half Shell. Join them to learn about the farming process and see various stages of oyster growth.

NC Oyster Month is October 2024!

This is the perfect opportunity to meet the folks behind the Trail. We’ll be sharing our event list soon. Want to host an event? Fill out our event submission form HERE.

Please mark your calendars!

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Who’s behind the oysters we eat?

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