Celebrity chef and California cuisine innovator Wolfgang Puck recently announced intentions to only serve organic meat and produce at his restaurants. More interestingly (and admirably?), Puck will only buy meat, fish and produce from responsible and ethical vendors.
Working in partnership with the Humane Society of the U.S., Puck said all of the restaurants, catered events and grocery products that bear his name will by the end of 2007 use ingredients that meet certain standards for the humane treatment of animals. Included will be eggs from cage-free hens, crate-free veal and pork, and poultry from farms with progressive animal welfare practices.
So that means no more foie gras at Postrio (even though their online menu still offers a trio of Hudson Valley foie gras). The bigger news might be the effects of Puck’s shift in philosophy on the entire restaurant industry as a whole. We’ve already seen Chicago ban foie gras and New York has recently received some heat for irresponsible fish policies. Now that a big name chef like Puck is on the ethical bandwagon, can others be far behind? The logical answer is that foie gras will soon be a myth among diners, like panda steaks and manatee sashimi.
