Chicago foie gras geography

Ald. Joe Moore's proposal to ban the sale of foie gras in Chicago isn't likely to hurt him in his ward (the 49th), since nobody sells it there. I certainly can't think of any Rogers Park restaurants or retail stores selling foie gras, not even the canned kind.

That got me to wonder how much of the city is foie-gras free. Is foie gras served or sold anywhere outside of the 42nd Ward on the Near North Side?

Also, over on e-gullet, somebody claimed to have purchased foie gras terrine at Trotter's to Go in the past month. Does anyone here recall seeing foie gras in any form in Trotter's store?

Please tell us about your foie gras sightings.

Ward Map

LAZ wrote:Also, over on e-gullet, somebody claimed to have purchased foie gras terrine at Trotter's to Go in the past month. Does anyone here recall seeing foie gras in any form in Trotter's store?

I *believe* I've seen foie gras products at T2G, but I can't guarantee it.

There's a bill in the illinois legislature to ban the production of foie gras in IL, too, isn't there? There aren't even any foie gras producers in the state.

Kind of like Utah's ban on whale hunting.

The Fish Guy had some on Tuesday right next to Canadian duck breasts.

gleam wrote:There's a bill in the illinois legislature to ban the production of foie gras in IL, too, isn't there? There aren't even any foie gras producers in the state.

Yes, in February, Schaumburg State Sen. Kathleen Wojcik (R-28th) introduced a bill (S.B. 413) that would ban production of foie gras in Illinois, where it isn't currently, and as far as I know, has never been produced.

I don't suppose there's much foie gras sold in Wojcik's district, either.

A lot of Western states have one month legislative sessions every TWO years. I am beginning to see the wisdom of that.

I have the dreadful misfortune of having uber-hack Moore as my alderman, and if I had my druthers, he'd be booted out of office right now for introducing and promoting this cockamamie idea. Rogers Park has such serious problems, e.g., gangs, pervasive violent and property crime, stagnant economic growth, and the embarrassment that is the Gateway/Howard Street CTA Renovation - and this asshat is wasting precious time legislating culinary mortality??!

Handbasket, I tell you. Handbasket!

LAZ wrote:Ald. Joe Moore's proposal to ban the sale of foie gras in Chicago isn't likely to hurt him in his ward (the 49th), since nobody sells it there.

sundevilpeg wrote:I have the dreadful misfortune of having uber-hack Moore as my alderman, and if I had my druthers, he'd be booted out of office right now for introducing and promoting this cockamamie idea.

I stand corrected. I hope you'll let the alderman know how you feel, and encourage your like-minded neighbors to do likewise. However, I didn't mean to start a political discussion here.

I'm interested in where in the city, particularly outside of the obvious neighborhoods, foie gras can be found. I suspect prepared and canned versions at least are available in many small, ethnic places and that it has a larger following in Chicago than the alderman may think.

sundevilpeg wrote:
I'm interested in where in the city, particularly outside of the obvious neighborhoods, foie gras can be found. I suspect prepared and canned versions at least are available in many small, ethnic places and that it has a larger following in Chicago than the alderman may think.

Both locations of Trader Joe's sell it (or have sold it) in canned or jarred form. Treasure Island has had a canned variety in the past.

Fox and Obel

Has anyone seen canned foie gras in European delis on the Northwest Side?

Hi,

On Saturday at the Culinary Historians, I was given an article by poster chapulin. I didn't read it until last night. There was an interesting article in the Pioneer Press food section labeled a commentary by Leah Zeldes. Unfortunately not one I could link to via their website.

Highlighted in a box was a bottom line truth to many of these emotionally driven issues, "Foie gras is an easy target, especially in America, where most of us grow up both ignorant and squeamish about the realities of meat production."

One almost never witnesses editorializing in the Food Section, if this is a one-of, then I especially thank chapulin for referring me to it. If this is a new feature, then I will be more attentive in the future.

Regards,

I know I recently (as of last November) had foie gras at X/O Chicago on North Halsted. I'm sure there's a good number of other restaurants in the city that serve it.

That's all I could remember all the top of my head.

Cathy2 wrote:One almost never witnesses editorializing in the Food Section, if this is a one-of, then I especially thank chapulin for referring me to it. If this is a new feature, then I will be more attentive in the future.

It was a one-off, as far as the suburban Pioneer Press papers go. A somewhat lengthier version appeared in Pioneer's new Citygroup papers (i.e., the former Lerner Newspapers: Skyline, Booster and News-Star) as part of "The Eat Beat" column, which some LTHers may remember. A followup appears in this week's city papers only.