Showing posts with label foie gras ban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foie gras ban. Show all posts
Last Days of Foie - All Time Favorites
Finally this foie series (and saga) ends with my favorite foie gras dishes in L.A., past and present.The photos can speak for themselves so I will keep my commentary brief.
1. foie gras, biscuit, maple sausage gravy - at Animal
From the first time I tried this decadent masterpiece years ago to this one in June, it's hard to beat. Look at the gold maple syrup floating on top of everything.
2. foie gras, eggplant, soy reduction - at Orris
Much to my sadness, they stopped serving this item in January of this year, several months before the restaurant closure and foie gras ban took effect.
Not only was it a stellar dish, at $15, it probably was the least expensive plate of its kind for the high quality.
Not only was it a stellar dish, at $15, it probably was the least expensive plate of its kind for the high quality.
3. foie gras terrine, blackberry jam, black pepper gastrique - at Animal (Noticing a pattern? I do love Animal.)
4. Bobo Farms Foie Gras, apple rosemary butter, caramelized cippolini, molasses toast - at Hatfields
My true favorite was their Pain d'Epice Crusted Foie Gras (crusted in gingerbread), but this stunning concoction offers similar flavors.
The wafery, crispy 'toast' is divine with a bite the seared foie. I especially love palate cleansing green apple, vege, herb, lemony slaw on the side.
The onions and sauces are not necessary in my opinion, though they do not detract from the core flavors.
The onions and sauces are not necessary in my opinion, though they do not detract from the core flavors.
5. foie gras, green beans, walnuts, truffle vinaigrette - at Petrossian
The plating alone is other-worldly with a taste to match. I've never seen green beans diced so finely and in uniform bits.
Although it's not foie, the Steak Tartare Caviar also dropped my jaw with its exquisite appearance and plating (so I'll throw it in).And that is leaving out their perfect smoked salmon plate with large caper berries and mushroom cappuccino (from their earlier menu).
Many of my favorite foie dishes are by Chef Ludo Lefebvre. Since I covered most of them on this post, I won't be redundant here.
6. The foie gras croque monsieur probably wins it among those stellar dishes at Ludo Bites.
6. The foie gras croque monsieur probably wins it among those stellar dishes at Ludo Bites.
7. Foie Gras Donut at Umamicatessen's & a,
This probably isn't a strong favorite, but I'll give them some props for creativity and making these donuts to order.
I learned from Food Critic Jonathan Gold's review that the "forest berry'' jelly comes from Robert Lambert, artisanal jam and condiment maker with a cult following. Gold feels the foie gras mousse gets thrown in to justify the cost of the jelly in this donut.
My only issue with this was how separate each component is inside the donut. It makes it hard to get that perfect bite, especially if you are sharing it with others. Perhaps that is the elusive quality of this donut that charms people.
Recently various news sources reported that Hot's Restaurant Group, some foie gras producers, such as Hudson Valley Foie Gras, claim the ban is "unconstitutional, vague and interferes with federal commerce laws." For now it remains to be seen how the ban will play out.
Until things evolve, we have our precious culinary memories.
Until things evolve, we have our precious culinary memories.
Last Days of Foie Gras Finale at Hot's Kitchen
Recently I read one of the many articles mentioning the best final foie gras dishes in town. Many of the usual suspects, that we all know are great, were on the list.But I also noticed a $10 foie gras burger at a locals' favorite restaurant way out of my neighborhood. Hot's Kitchen's tagline of "surfer meets sophisticate", indicating their 'foodie' twist on classics.
After indulging for days with fancy preparations, I wasn't up to a 30-course foie meal (which was really offered!). It felt right to spend the last day of eating foie gras in California at this more casual and soulful spot.
When I called to make a reservation I was told that for the final weekend, they are planning to host a Farewell Foie Gras blowout. Despite many visits to their website, Facebook and Twitter pages, the menu was kept a surprise till the very end.
Not that anyone had to twist my arm to try these juicy burgers, but I appreciated that for each burger sold, Hot's Chef/Owner Sean Chaney and would contribute $1 to C.H.E.F.S, the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards.
The small plates were meant for sharing so our table of four liberally ordered the dishes that struck our fancy, with all caution to the wind.
Poutine. Duck fat fries, 2 year old hooks cheddar, foie gravy, duck confit, morel mushrooms.
Their take on the Canadian specialty came loaded with toppings, including cubed veges. The shredded duck confit hiding in the gravy was a pleasant surprise.
Cashew Foie Gras. Seared foie gras, roasted shishito peppers, nameko mushrooms, cashews, thai chilis, sesame seeds.
I felt a bit skeptical about their take on cashew chicken, but loved the flavors on this plate, especially the grilled peppers and toasted sesame seeds on the foie.
The sliced Thai chili brought a bit of heat, but despite the two types of peppers, the heat level did not take away from the star of the dish.
Foie Gras Burger. Seared foie gras, balsamic onions, whole grain mustard.
I don't need t say much here. I tilted the plate to give you a profile of these slider size burgers and what more can I say? Except that they gave off lots of juice that the buns soaked up. Perfection.
They cost $12 instead of $10, but worth every penny.
Foie Fried Rice. Asparagus, porcini mushrooms, uni mustard sauce, duck egg.
I love every singular ingredient in this dish, which makes it the fried rice of the gods. The duck egg added that indefinable sauce. The portions of foie almost equaled the rice.
Liver & Onions. Seared foie gras, cipollini onions, morels, bacon, mashed potatoes, pedro ximenez sauce.
I didn't taste this one, in order to leave room for a couple of other dishes, but it turned out to be one diner's favorite dish of the evening.
PB&J & F*** Gras. Seared foie gras, peanut butter & jelly, balsamic strawberries, toasted brioche.
This fell more on the dessert side. I would have preferred less sweet. The combination of peanut butter, tart strawberries and foie worked well together.
Pineapple Brioche French Toast. Seared foie gras, pineapple sage, compound butter.
I loved the pineapple and foie combination but could not taste the sage compound butter due to the syrupy sweetness. Also would have preferred the sweet toned down.
Overall, we tried all but one of the foie dishes on the chef's tasting menu (we opted to leave out the Seared Foie Gras & Tater Tots). We also passed on the Foie & Fondue since we'd had our fair share of sweet dishes.
To break up the all-foie bites, at some point we ordered tacos. Hot's specializes in tacos (you can read the selection here) and has dozens to choose from.
The shrimp tempura, with avocado, enoki mushrooms, green onions, unagi sauce, chili-aioli and sesame seeds seemed to be the table favorite.
I had read on their website, and also on this menu, about their newest addition to the menu, Crispy Orange Fanta Wings.
They arrived in minutes with a neon orange sauce. I expected them to be cloyingly sweet, but they actually packed quite a bit of heat.
I loved the extremely crunchiness which many places do not properly do.
All the employees showed their pride and passion for foie with their charming handmade t-shirts.
Hot's Kitchen was thoroughly enjoyable. It was fun to ring out end of the era of foie gras in California with a casual, creative and affordable meal.
Last Days of Foie Gras at Petrossian
Petrossian West Hollywood also hosted a Farewell to Foie Gras menu by Chef Giselle Wellman, during the month of June.
I've never had anything short of a delightful experience at this elegant French boutique and restaurant, from their caviar, smoked salmon at the boutique to everything on the menu.This elegant menu consisted of very refined courses.
It's hard to go wrong when starting with their Hibiscus Champagne, including rhubarb syrup and a candied hibiscus flower.
The 1st course, a Summer Berry Gazpacho, arrived, a bowl of Harry's Berries, pickled beets, croutons and micro greens. The star of the bowl, Armagnac poached foie gras came in creamy cubes.
The server poured tableside a small pitcher of the gazpacho into the bowl. The fresh fruits enhanced the foie cubes well.
The 2nd course, Asparagus Salad, with black summer truffles, little gem baby lettuce, truffle jus vinaigrette provided again very complementary elements to the foie gras ravioli. The asparagus slivers sat neatly piled below the ravioli.
With ingredients like this, it's hard to figure out the 'star' of the plate.
The star of the 3rd course of Seared Foie Gras left no question. I am a sucker for seared foie and this version with cherries on top, pistachios crumbled below and a sight hint of mint really hit many parts of the palate.
The sheer size of the 4th course, a full entree size, intimidated us. Where is the foie on the Prime Flat Iron? In a thick, luscious sauce below the sliced steak. A buried treasure just barely peeking out.
The tender steak came to life with a mushroom duxelle, micro greens, onions, fines herbes and a surprising pop of Fresno chili.
5th course, a decadent Foie Gras Ice Cream, sitting in a tiny bowl with a thin slice of brioche, raspberry jam, and drizzles of sea salt and honey blew me away.
The ice cream, not too cold, very creamy surprised me by not being too sweet. Most of the sweetness came from the honey and jam.
I wasn't sure whether I should make a little ice cream sandwich or not, but opted to just break bits of the bread with my spoon for each bite of the ice cream. If given a second chance, I'd go in with my hands!
I never expect dessert to impress me much, and usually they don't. This exceptional ending to a delightful meal will go down in foie history.
Last Days of Foie Gras at Maison Akira
After the Fight for Foie event at Haven Gastropub & Brewery back in March, I felt satiated and thought it was my last foie gras before the ban kicks in.Somehow, during the days leading up to July 1st, between the extremely creative offerings by chefs around town, and foodie friends mentioning menus left and right, I managed to slip in some more wonderful tastes.
One of the meals came from Maison Akira with their Foie Gras Menu during the month of June. They developed some interesting combinations based upon their signature French-Japanese style of cooking by Chef Akira Hirose, formerly from l'Orangerie.
We were promptly presented with a spicy shrimp amuse bouche, sitting on a bed of pureed eggplant in a pool of foie gras oil.
The chives added a nice pop of freshness, as did the St. Germaine Royale (elderflower flavor).
The Grilled Duck Foie Gras on Yellow Corn Puree in a Reduction of Balsamic came out. The football shaped foie against the creamy yellow corn looked beautiful.
I enjoyed the more subtle sweetness of the corn and balsamic rather than the frequent fruit preserve accompaniment to foie gras.
The crunch of the potato strips also added some texture to the plate.
The Hudson Valley Foie Gras "Torchon" with Toasted Brioche leaned much more on the French presentation style than the two previous dishes.
The fruit jam with the foie and the aftertaste of the micro greens and tomato simply worked well.
For me, the brioche was a bit too buttered and too heavy compared to the delicate torchon. Foie gras is often called "meat butter" and because of the richness, there was no need to gild the lily with butter.
And for the final course, we are back to some Japanese influences. The gorgeous plate of Grilled Duck Foie Gras on Daikon Confit in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce contained the unexpected daikon element.
Between the tender, juicy daikon and the foie gras lay two slices of poached pears, also adding a subtle sweet element. The grilled oyster mushrooms didn't add too much to the dish and were a bit fibrous.
The fried herbs provided crunch again. The sauce tasted like it included some pan drippings which gave it deep flavor.
The menu provided a supplemental option instead of this course, of an Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak and Foie Gras "Rossini".
The server mentioned special desserts from their regular menu such as a Grand Marnier Souffle and a lovely Baked Alaska. But due to the richness of the meal, the desserts remain for another time.
I really appreciated that they kept this meal to three creative courses and honored the main ingredient in a quiet but exciting way. They served each course at a good pace and with strong, unpretentious service - a fitting tribute to foie.
Haven Gastropub's Fight for Foie
With California's ban on production, sales and serving of foie gras officially beginning on July 1st, there has been a frenzy of chefs and foodies alike to celebrate this French delicacy as much as possible.An overturn seems unlikely, despite Chicago's 2008 repeal of their foie gras ban. One would think there are more pressing issues to resolve than the tiny U.S. foie gras production (like the questionable farming practices for much more frequently consumed chickens, cows, pigs). This law puts California's only foie gras producer, Sonoma-Artisan, out of business on July 1st.
Chef Greg Daniels of Haven Gastropub + Bewery wrote an Open Letter trying to clear up misinformation and approached lawmakers in Sacramento with the group C.H.E.F.S. (Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards) proposing, rather than a repeal, new legislation for new standards for humane and ethical farming of foie gras.
Despite speculation of finding loopholes to serve foie after the ban, many diners are treating these last days leading to the official ban as our last bites of the delicacy in California.
As Deep End Diner Eddie Lin wrote, it's "Foiecopalypse Now!". I can't top his puns and captions, so let me just get on to the meal.
“Fight For Foie” Celebration Menu at Haven Gastropub +Brewery
Monday, March 12, 2012
Chef Greg Daniels along with an all-star lineup of Los Angeles’ most prominent young chefs, hosted a seven-course prix-fixe dinner to support humane and ethical farming. 100% of the proceeds from the dinner benefited C.H.E.F.S.
On a subsequent trip to Haven, I learned that the servers also donated 100% of their salary and tips for the evening to support the cause.
Dishes served definitely stepped up the creativity (and taste) level. Some people asked how it's possible to eat that many courses of this rich ingredient. To their credit the chefs lightened up the preparations as much as possible.
About 9-10 PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protestors lined the front of the restaurant and parking structure shouting with large signs saying things like "How Much Cruelty Could You Swallow"?
My dining companion and I met at the street corner and walked in together without making eye contact, although they did manage to place flyers in our hands as we walked by.
The worst part is that they were pressing against the glass walls photos and in some cases, even laptops, with images of tortured, diseased geese. It's over the top.
It's bad enough the government is telling us what we can eat/buy/cook, but didn't need the added invasion given the proceeds of the event were going to benefit ethical farming!
The courses to come wiped away that memory quite quickly.
Amuse Bouche
The amuse bouche really impressed me. It was an absolutely perfect bite. The crumble surrounding the foie "lollipop" reminded me of toffee (a Heath bar) for some reason, but it appeared to be dried orange zest, nuts and other items.
We were also treated to a champagne aperitif.
Smoked Foie Gras Torchon - Oatmeal Crumble, Sorrel
Jordan Toft, Eveleigh
“Foie for Breakfast” - Blood Biscuits, Whipped Foie “Butter,” Picked Cherry Jam, Duck Bacon, Quail Egg
Greg Daniels, Haven Gastropub +Brewery
The whimsical breakfast plate contained so many tasty components that melded perfectly. I love breakfast any time of day and this appropriately scaled plate, with the tiny sunny side up quail egg, brought a lot of creative flavor.
Creamy Foie Soup - Chicken Skin, Bottarga, Hearts of Palm
Alex Reznik, La Seine
Tortellini in Duck Tongue Brodo - Foie Gras & Rhubarb, Beech Brown Mushrooms, Micro Celery
David Colman, Michael’s on Naples
The idea of doing two soupy courses back to back really appeals to me as I am a huge fan of soup, and it keeps the eating pace a bit lighter.
Wild Escolar - Roasted Foie Gras, Petit Pois à la Francais, Sauce Albufera
Brendan Collins, Waterloo & City
Brendan Collins is another chef whose food I adore. I love that he chose fish for the dish. Caramelized escolar with caramelized foie doesn't need much adornment. The beautiful, fresh peas in a lovely brothy sauce added a pop of green to cut the richness a bit.
Once again, the sheer portion of the seared foie is notable.
Thankfully we were served a chilled glass of palate cleansing berry sorbet at this point.
Za’atar Crusted Squab, Foie Gras Pastilla - Fennel, Meyer Lemon
Vartan Abgaryan, Public Bar & Kitchen
It was also a great choice to serve game instead of red meat. By this time in the meal, there wasn't a lot of room for more food. With such a gorgeous plate, it's hard to resist.
Za'atar, if you haven't had it, is a Middle Eastern condiment containing dried oregano, thyme, savory, sumac, sesame seeds and salt. I always have a stash at home and pour it over almost anything!
The squab leg and thigh topped with za'atar encrusted crispy skin, the pastry dough wrapped around a cylinder of foie gras (egg roll size) and the citrusy fennel with candied orange slices and a touch of heat on the plate formed a delectable palate of flavors.
Foie Gras Cheesecake, Foie Gras Bon Bon - Vanilla Crumble, Hibiscus Gel, Micro Tangerine Lace
Santanna Salas, Pastry Chef, Haven Gastropub +Brewery
Pastry Chef Santanna Salas developed this creamy, foie gras cheesecake. The crumble adds a touch of sweetness and the fruity gelee serves as a tart foil to the richness. The foie flavor is fairly subtle. You can taste it if you know it's there.
This dessert appears on many articles rounding up the must-have foie gras dishes around town, and it appears (not for long) on their regular menu, so is not exclusive to this particular dinner.
The dark chocolote bon bon filled with a creamy foie gras ice cream also closed out the meal in a decadent way.
Overall, this amazing group of talented chefs created a magical dinner I will remember for a long, long time after July 1st.
