When foie gras is banned, only outlaws will serve foie gras in their California restaurants… except if you count rule-skirting as not rule-breaking, then California restaurateurs are not really outlaws. But they’re still kind-of flouting the foie gras ban. Flouting!
As you may know, a foie gras ban in California recently went into effect, removing the popular but controversial ingredient from menus across the state. And its safe to stereotype that the wealthy diners of Hollywood may miss foie gras more acutely than, say, the residents of most of Arkansas, or Idaho or any state where Applebee’s serves as a location for a special night out or celebration — so the foie gras ban isn’t going unnoticed or ungrumbled about in California.
However, foie gras is controversial for a good reason — it can only be produced in a manner that is irrevocably tied to animal cruelty, and experiments in creating cruelty-free foie gras have been lackluster . Owing to this circumstance, many feel that foie gras bans are not an entirely bad idea, but foodies miss the inimitable rich taste of foie gras.
In light of the foie gras ban, many California restaurants have resorted to some clever workarounds to keep diners happy and able to munch on fatty livers.
One solution establishments have implemented is allowing a BYOFG policy in response to the foie gras ban, while others have taken a more daring approach.
Where to find foie gras in San Francisco and the Bay Area, ‘complimentary’ and otherwise – nym.ag/OPvJvu
— Grub Street SF (@grubstreetsf) July 17, 2012
Since the restaurants can’t legally sell foie gras following the ban, they’ve added it as a “complimentary” option (and due to its cost, it’s safe to assume your side of truffled fries is going to cost quite a bit more.)
Do you think the foie gras ban will continue to provoke an underground revolution of foie gras flouters?