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Chefs across SoCal have been taking a stand against the CA foie gras ban that went into effect last summer, with some of them going so far as to put the forbidden livers on their menu as a gifted item. Now, two Orange County restaurants -- Arc and the Broadway -- have been threatened with lawsuits by the legal team at PETA for serving foie to their customers.
This is Not a Pop-Up received a similar email from PETA's legal counsel Matthew Strugar last month when they announced via Twitter that they might be serving it at one of their dinners. Strugar similarly notified chefs Noah Blom of Arc in Costa Mesa and Amar Santana of the Broadway in Laguna Beach that their actions were unlawful, and if they didn't stop PETA would take legal action.
Santana is serving the foie gras as a gift that accompanies at $55 glass of sauternes, a sweet dessert wine that is a traditional pairing for the fatty French delicacy. Last week alone they went through 12 pounds of the product.
"No one has the right to tell people what to eat or not eat," Santana said. "Just because you're vegetarian, vegan or love animals, it doesn't mean your neighbor feels the same way," Santana told the L.A Times. "The wine is very popular."
Arc is serving a sauce that's made from rendered foie gras on top of their steaks.
The chefs are arguing that it's not right for the government to have control over what people eat. But since their pleas were not heard in court before the ban, what they are doing technically could be considered illegal.
Until there's some sort of overturn, we suggest sticking with some of the great substitutes out there, like Ari Taymor's chicken liver toast with date jam and frisee at Alma. It's equally as silken and delicious, and you won't be considered a criminal in the dining room for eating it.
