FOOD
Shucking Pandemic IN THE
Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine
Cajun-style Gulf Coast Goodness is Back By Marene Gustin
W
Steak modern luxury
18 | Intown | November + December 2020
hen the old Chelsea Market was sold and torn last year, for yet another high-rise apartment building, the popular Danton’s Gulf Coast Seafood had to find a new home. And what a wonderful new home they found in the old Mockingbird Bistro spot in River Oaks. Owner Kyle Teas’s wife, an interior decorator, completely redid the interior, and with a new name—after his father—and updated menu, Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine was born. “We opened in late October,” Teas recalls, “and things were going really well. Business was better than I expected and then March 12 happened.” That was when the city and county decided to lock down businesses to try to slow the pandemic. Amid the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 spreading rapidly, getting fresh shucked oysters did
not seem as important as it once had. “We reopened in June for takeout,” Teas says. Now, the restaurant is back, with indoor dining at 75 percent. “It was hard but I got PPP funding,” he says referring to the Paycheck Protection Program from the Small Business Administration. By the time he reopened he was able to bring a lot of his staff back, although he says some had health fears and didn’t want to come back to work. “I’ve had some new hires,” Teas says, “and I’d like to have more. But, I’m very proud of the team we have right now.” He’s also very proud of his supportive customer base, many from his long years at Danton’s. Teas is a native Houstonian, who grew up eating Gulf Coast seafood. Of course, Eugene’s has a little something for everyone on the menu. Inspired soups and salads for small appetites, and a 14-ounce certified Angus ribeye fire-
