Foie Gras Still Served at Hot's Kitchen in Hermosa Beach

If you want foie gras, head to Hot's Kitchen in Hermosa Beach where the restaurant is serving the banned delicacy as a side dish to Chef Sean Chaney's new Balsamic Onion Burger.

"Technically, we're not breaking the law," said Chef Chaney's assistant Christina Parrott, explaining that the foie gras is served, not sold, as a side. If a customer doesn't want the side of foie gras, the $13 burger price remains the same.

"This [foie gras on Hot's menu] isn't going anywhere," she added.

The Balsamic Burger made its debut this week, and Parrott expects it to remain on Hot's menu, which is printed daily.

Beach Cities restaurants, including Cafe Pierre and Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya in Manhattan Beach, that served foie gras before the statewide ban took effect July 1 reported a run on the delicacy.

"The last three days [before the ban] we had a lot of people who wanted it," said Victor Salceda, manager of Cafe Pierre in downtown MB. "They thought, 'This is our last time to try it.'"

Animal rights supporters and others were successful in their bid to ban the sale of the goose liver delicacy usually prepared from the force-feeding of ducks and geese.

However, that legislation is the subject of a lawsuit filed on behalf of plaintiffs that include Hot's Restaurant Group which operates Hot's Kitchen, the Canadian duck-farming trade organization Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d'Oies du Quebec and New York-based producer Hudson Valley Foie Gras. 

Cafe Pierre's Salceda said the restaurant is not being adversely affected by the ban since their menu includes such a large variety of dining options. 

As for foie gras, he said, "We don't serve it anymore."

Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya manager Mitsu Takeno was intrigued by the lawsuit, noting that the downtown MB location is one of five Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya locations.

"Maybe we're willing to participate as well," she said.

Takeno said the Japanese restaurant sold out of its foie gras the Friday night before the Sunday ban.

"A lot of people are still calling [to see if we have foie gras]," she said. "A lot of people loved it."

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