Foie gras. It’s contentious. It’s delicious. It’s banned in Chicago. It has even sparked scuffles outside of Le Bec-Fin. The controversy over foie gras all hinges on the force feeding of ducks or geese in order to create the specialty: Is it animal cruelty? Activists say it is… and they are working with City Councilman Jack Kelly to ban foie gras in Philadelphia. A new bill facing the Licenses and Inspection Committee will ban the sale of foie gras; the dish will be outlawed in California after 2012 as well. Protests against restaurants selling foie gras in Philadelphia have stepped up as of late, mainly due to the efforts of a West Philadelphia activist group called “Hugs for Puppies”. The Inquirer wrote a piece examining both sides of the issue, interviewing Hugs for Puppies, chef David Ansill of Ansill, Stephen Starr and Terry McNally of the London Grill, which serves a truly delicious hanger steak drizzled with foie gras butter.
City’s foie gras foes put heat on chefs [Inquirer]
