Some see foie gras on a menu and think fine dining; others think animal cruelty. Foie gras (French for "fat liver") is made by force feeding a goose grain mush to enlarge the animal's liver.
"It's very creamy and buttery when cooked properly. It's very rich and decadent," Chef Tim Kartiganer of the Culinary Academy of Austin said.
Although it's been considered a delicacy for centuries, foie gras has animal rights groups targeting local restaurants that serve it. Noah Cooper demonstrates with Central Texas Animal Defense and says Austin needs to follow in the footsteps of other cities and banish it from menus.
"It's produced by force feeding these animals until they become diseased. These metal feeding tubes that are used often puncture the animal's throats," he said.
Recently, seven Austin restaurants were tagged with graffiti, but Austin police say only two filed formal complaints. Police have not connected the vandalism to animal rights activists. Some of the vandalized restaurants, like the Spaghetti Warehouse, don't even serve foie gras.
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Food fight
Activists want restaurants to stop serving foie gras, but chefs won't cater to a crowd that does't patronize their restaurants.0528820717
 
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"We're trying to work with restaurants in a positive way to get them to remove foie gras from their menu," Cooper said.
According to Stop Force Feeding.com, eight restaurants in Austin serve foie gras. That number might be off by a few since new restaurants have opened. The Driskill Grill is the only one listed that has pulled foie gras from its menu.
"I think it's more of a small minority making a big noise than it is an issue with most Americans. The amount of foie gras that people eat is minimal because of its high cost," Kartiganer said.
Chicago and California (by 2012) have banned serving foie gras. Many European nations have banned production. But Kartiganer said it's a business' patrons who should call the shots.
"To change your menu for a group that doesn't come to eat at your restaurant anyway seems ridiculous to me, so I would never do it. I think people have the right to eat what they want to and since it's out there they should have that choice," he said.
Central Texas Animal Defense group is holding a protest in front of Restaurant Jezebel on Congress Avenue July 16 to try and persuade the restaurant to take veal and foie gras off their menu.
