No more Foie Gras @ Trotters

[Dave the Cook]

Beautiful pictures, Awbrig.

[Bux]

You know there's ankimo--monk fish liver. Has Charlie touched that yet? Foie gras of the sea. Kind of a cross between foie gras and uni.

[Jinmyo]

Bux, that's a great point. Trotter could do some fine stuff with ankimo that would fir in well with his cuisine.

Nice pictures, awbrig. My condolences.

[marcus]

Although no fan of Trotter's, I applaud this decision, and not because of animal rights issues, but because I find that foie gras has become both a cliche and crutch in restaurants, both here and in France. In addition, I have never eaten great foie gras in this country, so why bother. I am much more interested to see what a fine restaurant can do with market ingredients, and I have been refusing to order foie gras dishes, except in places in France that I consider to be foie gras specialists, such as La Belle Gascogne.

[klinger75]

You know there's ankimo--monk fish liver. Has Charlie touched that yet? Foie gras of the sea. Kind of a cross between foie gras and uni. 

ankimo is delicious and tends to pop up on the menu at Trio from time to time

Edited February 3, 2003 by klinger75 (log)

[mikeczyz]

i had such difficulty swallowing this pill that I just got off the phone with someone at Charlie Trotters and was told that is indeed true, effective immediately. the fellow on the phone said that it was simply because Charlie doesn't approve of the way the animals are treated.

mike

[chopjwu12]

munk liver is not good. I dont like it at all. But why the hell do people think the french are the only ones that make good foie dishes. Thats just stupid. I guess my man thomas keller doesn't know his ass from his elbow ehn it comes to foie either huh!

[marcus]

But why the hell do people think the french are the only ones that make good foie dishes. Thats just stupid. I guess my man thomas keller doesn't know his ass from his elbow ehn it comes to foie either huh!

You are entirely missing the point. The issue is not the chef, but the farmer who raises the ducks.

[chopjwu12]

ive had foie from france and from united states. The ones i have tried have been very very similar to the point that you couldn't tell the difference. Now i understand that there are the exceptions in both countries but i wont site here and believe that a country produces better foie. A person yes but not the country as a whole.

[Kim WB]

ive had foie from france and from united states. The ones i have tried have been very very similar to the point that you couldn't tell the difference. Now i understand that there are the exceptions in both countries but i wont site here and believe that a country produces better foie. A person yes but not the country as a whole.

I love ya', kid, but sometimes you are painful.

duck, duck...goose!

Edited February 4, 2003 by Kim WB (log)

[Fat Guy]

Instead of not serving foie gras, maybe Charlie could just serve half as much.

(I've never done side-by-side tasting of the best French and North American foie gras. I have tasted, side by side, the French and American foie gras sold by D'Artagnan. The American is better. The French isn't useful for much other than terrines. Good topic for another thread, though I think there may be one on it already.)

[Bux]

You know there's ankimo--monk fish liver. Has Charlie touched that yet? Foie gras of the sea. Kind of a cross between foie gras and uni. 

ankimo is delicious and tends to pop up on the menu at Trio from time to time

I've heard it's on some Amerrican restaurant menus (other than Japanese restaurants) but I've never been lucky enough to run across it. I've also seen it in markets in Galicia and Brittany, but again not seen it offered in any restaurant in which I've dined in either area. My only experience with it has been in a few Japanese restaurants and on an open sandwich in Paris. There I'm afraid it was canned and I think from Denmark. It was an acceptable spread for the tartine, but not so special.

[Stone]

Maybe the economy is such that Trotter can't charge enough extra for the foie gras to make his margin on the dish?

[Lady T]

In a restaurant with a million-plus-dollar wine cellar? Where none of the menus is under $100 and there's an automatic 18% service surcharge? I seriously don't think the price points are the problem for Charlie here...

...but damn, some of the best foie I ever had in my life has been at Trotter's, and I'm mighty regretful to see the era end.

[Louisa Chu]

It's hard to generalize anywhere. I've been to foie gras "farms" here in France where both ducks and geese are free-range and come eagerly to feed. At the stage I saw them they were grotesquely deformed but run they did. I've heard that at others where I'm sure they're not so open to visitors that they are still force fed with funnels down their throats. I believe that Charlie Trotter must know these truths intimately. Rather than condemn him for hypocrisy perhaps he should be applauded for bravery. Furthermore I think it should be required that every single person be required to kill their own food at least once. Death gives you so much more respect for life.

[Andy Lynes]

I will see him on Tuesday and I will ask him about it, for sure...

Can you ask him to log onto eGullet to post about his reasons?

[awbrig]

my mistake, I'll be seeing him tomorrow, Wednesday, with David Thompson...

[Bux]

It's hard to generalize anywhere. I've been to foie gras "farms" here in France where both ducks and geese are free-range and come eagerly to feed. At the stage I saw them they were grotesquely deformed but run they did. I've heard that at others where I'm sure they're not so open to visitors that they are still force fed with funnels down their throats. I believe that Charlie Trotter must know these truths intimately. Rather than condemn him for hypocrisy perhaps he should be applauded for bravery. Furthermore I think it should be required that every single person be required to kill their own food at least once. Death gives you so much more respect for life.

I don't think anyone accused him of hypocrisy. People just differed in their reaction to what is known as force feeding and all it implies. I think the whole issue of killing animals for our food is very different. I actually find a better case could be made for not eating meat than for distinguishing foie gras as the most inhumane process in raising animals for consumption. I think there's something to be said about the removal of most Americans, not just urban Americans, from the source of their food especially in terms of raising and slaughter of livestock. There are practices we wouldn't allow to happen if we were raising our own live stock, but which are common place in the industrial-agriculture world that supplies most of our meat. It's less about turning a blind eye, than it is in not having sufficient access to information or alternate sources of meat. I know people who will not buy any of the factory brands of chickens carried by most supermarkets, less out of concern for the chickens, but for the working conditions of the human labor force. I understand their protest, but I'm not sure it helps anyone get a better job. At the moment, I'm just pleased to find that the chickens with the most flavor seem to live the best life so I don't have to make some of those decisions.

[Steve Klc]

Lou--why not start and flesh out that kill your own food concept in Cooking when you get a chance. I'd hate to divert this valuable thread or diminish what might become of your idea. They both warrant their own attention.

[chopjwu12]

ive had foie from france and from united states. The ones i have tried have been very very similar to the point that you couldn't tell the difference. Now i understand that there are the exceptions in both countries but i wont site here and believe that a country produces better foie. A person yes but not the country as a whole.

I love ya', kid, but sometimes you are painful.

duck, duck...goose!

Why am i so painful? Is it my spelling problems again. Let me just defend myself by saying i am not a very good typer and especially at 2 AM when i am usually on posting. So for that i do apologise. But is it really that painful?

I agree with the killing of there own food that maybe it should have its own topic. But i have killed almost every farm animal you eat and i dont feel sorry for them. Maybe its just me.

Back to the foie issue. Ok if trotter is so worried about these poor little duckling why doesn't he take the matter into his own hands? Like many people have said, there are foie producers that treat the gueese/duck with respect and care. They come running for feeding time instead of being tied down with a tube down there throats. Im sure someone like him can insure that he gets the well treated foie. So what if he has to pay a bit more for it. Raise the price on them menu or charge a supplement for it. The plain and simple fact is if he really wants to he can get foie from producers that treat their animals well so he doesn't have to take it of the menu. I see a different reason for the foie ban. I dont know what it could be but there has to be one. To me if he is going to take this route with foie why doesn't he take the stand with all animals. Im sure most of the beef he serves hasn't had the life of a kobe cow.

[awbrig]

Interesting to note that Trotters To Go is still serving Foie Gras Terrines...

even the Valentines Day Menu @ the store features Foie Gras in a main course...

http://www.trotterstogo.com/vdaymenu.asp

Edited February 6, 2003 by awbrig (log)

[southern girl]

So Aw, I know dinner was excellent...will you post about it please...and did you get to speak to CT about his choice not to serve Foie?

[awbrig]

I talked to Charlie tonight but forgot to ask him about the foie gras...

David Thompson, Emory and Charlie this evening at Trotters to Go

Dinner on Friday was excellent but not the singular best dinner that I have had there...still excellent though and good company!

Edited February 6, 2003 by awbrig (log)

[chopjwu12]

Yo awbrig man after all this talk how could ya go and forget to ask CT?

[awbrig]

I did think about it, honestly, but i didnt want to bring it up in front of his guest Chef who may or not have shared the same feelings...