Banned in U.S., but available in Europe

[sharonb]

Not necessarily banned, but more available or better in France would be things like: calf's head (tête de veau) and other offal dishes, including andouillette sausage; small crabs called étrilles; squab (pigeon); Morteau sausage; Lyon sausage with pistachios; scallops with the coral attached (the best part); round zucchini; lamprey à la bordelaise or, for the less daring, alose (shad) prepared the same way (w/ red wine and leeks); oh, and on the sugary side, do not miss a good kouign amann - a pastry from Brittany that's basically all whispy, crunchy dough and butter and a crackly layer of sugar.

[sbb1979]

Don't know how available they are out there but unusual over here, go to The Boxwood Cafe in London for Elvers. "Spring marks the season for the fishing of elvers, which have drifted for three years from the Sargasso sea to the Severn estuary. Served in only a handful of restaurants, at Boxwood Café, executive chef Stuart Gillies serves the highly prized elvers very simply: cooked in watercress butter, served on toast with baby spinach and drizzled with lemon."

For odd bits of the animal that you may or may not be able to eat in the US go to St John at Smithfields Market for some "nose to tail" eating.

St. JOHN Bar & Restaurant Smithfield

26 St John Street

London

EC1M 4AY

Anthony Bourdain's favourite restaurant apparently. Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad being a particular favourite of mine.