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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Food Foie Gras? Non! Ten 01 and Fenouil Pull Foie Gras in Response to Protests. Blue Hour in Crosshairs.
Posted by on Wed, May 14 at 2:08 PM
As foie gras has gained ground in the Portland food scene (it’s nearly impossible to find a well regarded restaurant not serving it these days), I’ve often wondered at the absence of the hard core animal rights protesters. I remember a few years back when protesters set up shop in front of Higgins, essentially forcing foie gras from the menu. In an interview with the Seattle Times in 2004, owner Greg Higgins had this to say about the protests:
“Even though I would never condone cruelty to animals, I resisted because they were so hostile. I wanted to talk about it. It was only when I tuned them out and internalized the issue that I was able to come to a rational decision.”
Since then, however, the protests seem to have lost their aggressiveness. But that appears to be changing.
Today, news has reached me that protesters from the Portland Animal Defense League (PDX ADL) plan a “phone jam” this Friday to tie up the lines at Blue Hour in protest of that restaurants participation in the foie gras scene. The idea seems to be to disrupt lunch and dinner service reservations, generally slowing things down in the restaurant. Currently, Blue Hour offers a preparation of sautéed duck foie gras with a lemon/licorice compote and huckleberry sauce.
Chef Kenny Giambalvo of Blue Hour, talked to me about his foie gras sourced from Artisan Foie Gras in Sonoma California.
“I visited in 2004,” Chef Kenny told me, “It’s a pretty interesting operation.” He observed the feeding process wherein the last 14 days of the ducks life are spent in a pen where a machine finishes the feeding process, fattening the liver.
Although Chef Kenny has been confronted by protesters “constantly, throughout the year,” he does not seem to be bothered by them. “It’s fine,” he says “As long as they let the costumers come and go, they can do whatever they want in a public space,” adding that protesters, “help me make the right decisions as a business owner.”
At the moment, that decision seems to be to keep foie gras on the menu.
This, however, is not the case for the Pearl district French bistro, Fenouil and its neighbor Ten 01. Both removed their foie gras after being hit by ADL protesters on April 19th.
More on their decision after the jump
Courtney Kintz, spokesperson from Portland Animal Defense League, says that the ADL has been working on the anti-foie campaign for a couple of months, “There hasn’t been any direct action against foie gras for awhile,” she said, noting that the ADL “took up the cause” after noticing an increase in Portland restaurants serving the French delicacy. The ADL has created a kind of hit list which includes new, big name eateries like Beast.
Sources from Fenouil refused to speak on the matter but did confirm that foie gras had been removed from the menu. Adam Berger, owner of Ten 01 and Tabla also confirmed that foie had been removed from the Ten 01 menu in response to protests, mostly to avoid the annoyance of the direct action. Though Berger, personally, is not a fan of foie gras, he noted that customers at Ten 01 have requested its return. “Our customers want it back,” he said, “a lot more than want it gone.”
Asked if this could be the opening act to the demise of foie gras in Portland, Berger replied, “Quite possibly, if Portland follows other cities that are banning foie gras.”
Chicago is one of the few major cities in the US to ban foie gras. However, the ban was repealed today 36-7, in a very controversial, end-run vote in city council.
No matter how you look at it, the foie gras issue in Portland is one that offers insight into the city’s foodie soul. It’s hard to say which way things will go. Will the cities gourmets cling to their fattened liver, or will a collective guilty conscious make foie gras a culinary foot note?
Until that question is answered, Courtney Kintz promises more direct action, “We’re always willing to stand outside with signs,” she says, “And you will be seeing more of that.”
Comments
chef kenny, you have seen those poor animals live the last days of their life in torture, and all you have to say is 'its an interesting operation?' so is abortion. i'll see you on friday.
by the way, i'm pro choice, but i certainly wouldn't eat a fried baby, and i certainly wouldn't eat tortured animals.
After a careful examination of the facts and my own ethics, I support foie gras personally. I will make it a practice to make sure the restaurants I frequent know it. I didn't know the movement was mobilizing in portland. I feel restaurateurs should know there are other voices in their community. Though I would never personally stoop to the level of interfering or harrassing a business (such as the fur or pro-life protests).
After a careful examination of the facts and my own ethics, I support foie gras personally. I will make it a practice to make sure the restaurants I frequent know it. I didn't know the movement was mobilizing in portland. I feel restaurateurs should know there are other voices in their community, though I would never personally stoop to the level of interfering or harrassing a business (such as the fur or pro-life protests).
Let them eat cake?
(not the ducks)
Of course, there are a few restaurants that have taken foie gras off the menu but continue to serve it if you ask. Protesters like those in PDX ADL will never figure out which ones unless they are willing to drop $125 + tip on a nice meal for two. And thus the circle of life is complete.
i'm a vegetarian who doesn't like chichi restaurants, so i've kind of ignored this issue until today. a little googling says that the ducks or geese are force-fed a human equivalent of 60 pounds of food a day for several weeks until their internal organs are on the verge of failure.
i don't understand eating meat in general, but this is especially cruel. i will not go to blue hour even more than usual in protest.
Passive boycotter, that is hilarious. I will join you in not going to bluehour even more than usual. Not because of the foie, of course. More because I can't afford it.
maybe they should call it "i hate ducks."
i think a very important fact has been left out of this discussion: Foie Gras is God Damned Delicious.
oh my gosh foie gras is so delicious.
Anything that's force-fed a "human equivalent of 60 pounds of food a day until their internal organs or on the verge of failure" is ready to go on the spit if you axing me mang.
I love meat! There is nothing as good as a nice rib eye steak, charred on the outside, medium rare and juicy on the inside. MMMMMMMM!
As for foie gras, it is delicious! I especially love the foie gras pettifores at...no I won't say it. The protesters will be there next.
Personally I'm tired of all these animal rights activists telling me what I can't eat. Abortion is a choice, as should foie gras and religion. Haven't we had enough of W forcing Christianity down our throats? Personally I'm tired of being told what I can't eat.
I fail to see the logic in how horrible Foie Gras is in comparison to any other meat killing and eating, especially on the large industrial scale. But then again I also think all vegans fail at providing a good reason for being vegan. With the exception of "they're cute animals so I have a personal problem with it".
Oh and with Beast, their Foie Gras Bon Bon is DELICIOUS! Once I hear they're protesting Beast it will give me a good excuse to treat myself to dinner or brunch at Beast to show my support.
Chicago just overturned their foie ban, so fuck you. The stinking hippies are losing this war. I'd lose respect for Fenouil if it wasn't such a middling, corporate restaurant to begin with.
"Protesters like those in PDX ADL will never figure out which ones unless they are willing to drop $125 + tip on a nice meal for two." thats a really good idea, anon. thanks for your input. believe it or not compassionate people make money too.
oh and d"aaaaa"ve? i fucking hate hippies too. and people from iowa.
Yeah yeah, good for you. You've cornered the market on compassion. And attention seeking.
actually d'aaaaaaaaaaa've,
i was hoping to make a difference just writing a bunch of insignificant blog commments. from iowa.
keep serving it! i like it. and...by the way...will these protesters ever actually eat in the restaurants they're protesting?...it's not like these restaurants are losing "their" business. keep out of my business please...go eat where you like and stay away from me and mine.
it really pisses me off when people start dictating their "values"...oh pleazzzzze.
Yes it tastes great! I love any meat, too! MEAT MEAT MEAT!!!! Why stop with force feeding by the way? I like my meat RAW. It tastes best fresh off the bone and bleeding, while the animal is still alive even. And it tastes even better when I kick the stupid animal in the balls. Even better than that is when you strap the animal down and cut off its balls and eat those raw. Even more tasty than that is if you beat the fuckin crap out of the animal with steel-toe boots, stomp on its head with cleats, stab its eye sockets with a sharp knife, electrocute its nipples .... what else can we do. Yeah okay maybe some of this is extreme BUT HEY IT TASTES FUCKING GREAT.
Dont say its my choice you pompous prick. I'm Not a very preachy vegan, But how about i force feed you for 14 days and see how delicious it is. And dont take some macho shit head attitude. Because well I am probably a bigger macho shit head than you. We dont protest every slaughter house and while I disagree with people making the choice to kill for their dietary needs. An act of EXTREME cruelty is not your choice, or should it be my choice to stab you and take a bite because well Its not hurting anyone else other than you and you dont really have much of an effect on society.
I'm staying out of this.
I appreciate we live in a country with a right to protest; however, I think there are far worse atrocities happening in our world and in our city than the so called torturing of ducks.
I have enjoyed foie gras many times, and have been thoroughly and extensively informed about the care and process of these ducks. They actually have a better life than any commercially raised chicken or cattle in this country. I make a choice to eat it, and that is my choice. Bullying restaurants into removing this item from the menu is not the answer. Providing citizens with intelligent and easy ways to get informed themselves is the answer.
I bet Fenouil and Ten01 will both put foie gras on their menu after the protesting dies down. I also believe they will continue to serve it to their customers and simply not advertise it on their menus.
NO ONE LIKES TO BE BULLIED! HAVEN'T WE BEEN BULLIED ENOUGH BY GEORGE W.?
Bluehour does not deserve this negative attention. It is a great restaurant with owners who care about the environment and the quality of what they serve. My friend worked there, and they actually compost and recycle all of their waste. She also told me the chef actually hosted a benefit for the Cheetah Conservation Fund last year. Does this sound like the kind of restaurant who is out to endorse the torturing of animals?
Restaurants serve what people want to eat. If no one ordered foie gras, no restaurant in town would serve it. Start informing people in a positive environment and stop harassing restaurants if you want to end foie gras.
"I think there are far worse atrocities happening in our world and in our city than the so called torturing of ducks"
that is the number one thing people do when confronted by protests: bitch about how much more important something else is. -there are far worse atrocities! go do something about them too. and i'll save hundreds of ducks from being tortured so people like missy up there, "it's not like these restaurants are losing "their" business." can keep thinking the person sitting next to her in the resteraunt is a republican bitch too. missy, lets just assume for a minute that i havent been to way more trendy costly resteraunts in this town than you. what if, in fact, i was homeless? does this mean my voice, since i cant afford to eat there, dosent count? i wish all you pompus republicans would go back where you came from. this is portland, bitches.
To me, the best argument on this thread came from Infomred Foodie: simply put, restuarants serve what people want to eat. If fois did not sell, restaurants would stop serving it. My biggest concern with the protests is taking it to a level where they are directly attempting to affect the business (tying up phone lines, etc.). That is just plain wrong. We can continue to inform the public about this issue without resorting to these immature tactics. I, for one, will continue to patronize Bluehour, it's a great restaurant.
There seems to be a strong correlation between veganism and the inability to use the shift key.
I eat meat, but I am completely against Foie Gras. The 2 things my parents never fed me and educated me about was Veal (baby cows) and Foie Gras (forced fed ducks). I plan on joining the protesters because Foie Gras is unnecessarily cruel....for what? just so you can enjoy a meal made with diseased fatty liver. My girlfriends and I would never date any guy who eats that crap. Anyone who eats it and knows that ducks and geese are forced fed through a metal tube are greedy and selfish.
I'll bet if the Foie was glazed with Patchouli and served in a bento box you crunchy shitheads would be all over it.
Here's an idea. If you don't like foie gras, don't eat it. Who the hell are PETA, ADL, and IDA to tell restaurants what they can and cannot serve? Not everyone in this city wants to subsist on granola, alfalfa sprouts and Chai lattes. What people choose to eat is none of your business.
No More Foie Gras #30
I just ate foie gras, wanna kiss?
To f no we won't foie:
You sir or madam are a first class super hypocrite. In your post above, in order to make your point about the "atrocity of eating foie gras", you compare that “torture” with abortion. And then you turn around and do the politically correct thing and say you are pro-choice, but wouldn’t eat a fried baby (what sick twisted logic!). You are either an brain damaged idiotic moron whose boyfriend/girlfriend convinced them to join PETA and you’re not capable of doing any of your own thinking, or you’re just a first class super hypocrite!!
I had a wonderful meal (including the foie gras appetizer) at Blue Hour last week. From now on, I’ll stop sharing the foie gras appetizer with my wife; we’ll order two of them each time. See you at Blue Hour soon!
P.S. If you would truly belive in saving helpless "creatures" from torture, your time would be much better spent protesting in front of the clinic on Lovejoy, but hold on, I forgot; you are a first class super hypocrite!!
So you believe in force feeding ducks AND you believe in forcing all women to have babies they don't want and forcing children to grow up in foster homes?
gigi,
' If you would truly belive in saving helpless "creatures" from torture your time would be much better spent protesting in front of the clinic on Lovejoy'
i wrote the second post to clarify i was pro choice. did you not read it? i have had two abortions myself. what i was saying was, that chef kenny supported foie because it was 'an interesting operation'. by this argument, should i support abortion because its an interesting operation too? no. i support abortion because it saved my life as i know it. and i'm trying to save those tortured animals lives from a little bit of misery. you obviously are not able to see the correlation, between torturing children (innocent) and torturing animals (also innocent). this way you can keep eating things with your blindfold on, as long as they taste good. right?
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personally I choose not to frequent restaurants that serve it. i see it more and more and get really bummed out. I suppose it would be more effective if I told the restaurant why i won't be returning...