Encased Meats for Freedom
Chicago issues its first foie-gras fine:
Doug Sohn, who runs Hot Doug's "The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium," agreed to pay $250 Thursday for the first-time offense.
He had been openly serving foie gras-laced hot dogs for many months at his restaurant on the city's northwest side after the ordinance banning the delicacy took effect in August 2006.
Sohn acknowledged in February that he had taken the city's warning letter about the duck or goose liver delicacy, framed it and placed it on his counter. He also advertised ingredients for the specialty dogs on a board hung near the front door and on his Web site.
Apparently, you have to work pretty hard to upset Chicago's foie-gras patrol. But all the overplayed provocation proved worth it for Sohn, who just paid a mere $250 to win himself a ton of publicity -- and the hearts and minds of sadistic duck-haters everywhere. Check out Hot Doug's site here, and listen to the store's awe-inspiring theme song (sample lyric: I want the feel, I want the taste/I want the meats that are encased) here.
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Kerry, I hope someday someone much bigger than you shoves a tube down you throat and feeds you fat. See how you feel about foie gras then.
Hey, Glenn, you made the list!
I used to do things "just to tick off the squares," too.
Then I turned 16.
Look at me, I'm eating foie gras and wearing a mohawk. That'lll show Daddy!
Did Glenn just tell Kerry to go get stuffed?
Glenn's right hand obviously fell asleep on him.
Poor guy. Here. Have some pate. you're just so cute when you're angry and frustrated. kinda makes you want to pull the shades and dance to the George Michael "Freedom" video.
*pat pat
joe,
In this case, it isn't 'just to tick off the squares'. It's taking a stand against tyranny.
If God* didn't want us to eat foie gras, he wouldn't have made it so delicious.
*Fictional character used to construct witticism.
Last night's Nightline had a segment about this I think. I caught the tail end of it. They had local Chicagoans talking about it, and there was one guy who went off about the nanny state and at one point turned to his buddy sitting next to him and said "Don't you feel much better knowing that these politicians are playing the role of your mom and forcing you to do what's good for you". They also profiled local Chefs who were still selling it, although calling it something else, and some places where, despite not being on the menu and not officially for sale, if you requested it, you would get it.
Overall, from the part I caught it was a pretty good anti-nanny state piece.
Personally, my fav story about the foie gras ban was the restaurant that was giving it away instead of selling it -- the enforcement agency came in and basically said "well technically the law prohibits selling it so there isn't much we can do"
Bin 36 apparently has been doing that
All you H&R Chicagoans had better hie off to Hot Doug's and show him some love. I'm looking at all you motherfuckers you have ever commented about how pretty the lake looks today.
Also, I want a report as to how well a foie gras dog works. Tasty or meh?
3324 North California, Chicago, IL 60618
c'mon - that's like... 773. may as well be in Madison, WI, for how far away it is and all.
Chef Allen Sternweiler takes a stand. He is also one of the best damned chefs in the city.
His restaurant is also damn good!
OK, is there any way for Reasonoids to express their legitimate contempt for the nanny state without coming across as insensitive to animal suffering? Like it or not, Libertarian contempt for animal cruelty issues creates a huge negative perception of the movement with many people who are reasonably receptive to other parts of your message.
Anonymous: how is that related here?
It isn't.
But when it is relevant, you bet - that's a good call, and it's very important.
Glenn:
I don't understand. Why would committing battery and sodomy on Kerry change her mind on foie gras? In your experience, does requesting people to imagine being buggered by sausage help them to stop eating swine?
Libertarian contempt for animal cruelty issues creates a huge negative perception of the movement with many people who are reasonably receptive to other parts of your message.
Drink!
Seriously, I get the point that there's a difference between opposing a law and being contemptuous of the concern that motivates the law. Still, any time we get a post like "You know, libertarians would get farther if only they stopped complaining about [insert issue here]", the drinking game rules must be obeyed.
Well, OK, "obeyed" is the wrong word. "Voluntary compliance in accordance with mutually agreeable contracts" would probably be better.
Drink!
🙂
de stijl,
My co-worker said it was excellent. He went with his wine geek friends a few weeks ago.
Doug also allows you to byob - no cork fee.
Anonymous (if that is your real name),
Not insensitive.
Assuming a normal size of the hotdog, $250 for a foie gras hotdog seems about right.
Can I get a chocolate Jesus to top it off?
[But, OH the cholesterol!]
The next time I visit Chicago, I want to spend a whole day at Hot Doug's.
Or any other reasonable substitute that VM recommends.
--------------------
joe, it's not just an attempt to tick off Daddy. It's the MFin' Chicago Foie Gras Tea Party, man!
Drink!
Drink!
Drink!
A M E N !!!
AMEN!
Stevo - Hot Doug's is great. I'd avoid Hot Karl's!
Aresen - $250.... [calculate exchange rate] $1.75. you gotta great idea!!!
c'mon - that's like... 773. may as well be in Madison...
Shut yer pulin' pie hole!
Boo, friggin', hoo*.
(* Best Michelle Malkin quote EVAR!)
This is the same city that's providing training on how to identify the eggs of Canadian Geese so you can step on 'em and squash 'em.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/42749.html
Russ 2000,
That's like the best news I have ever heard! You made my day. Geese are vile creatures.
Russ 2000,
That is sooo Starship Troopers (movie, not the book) as to be slighly scary.
Join the Goose Stomping Infantry and save the Chicagoland. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?
Too bad geese don't have any tasty body parts. That could help solve Chicago's problem.
This is the same city that's providing training on how to identify the eggs of Canadian Geese so you can step on 'em and squash 'em.
I remember when I first heard about this problem.
If I recall correctly, the Chicago Park District wanted to put down a variety of grass (or spray the grass with a chemical) that makes the bird ill/nauseous and makes them temporarily sick but doesn't kill them as a deterrent. I think the idea was met with some resistance by animal rights groups.
"Canadian Geese"
????
Mexican geese too? What about Iranian geese?
Whatever it sounds as if the Animal Rightists have won if poultry now holds citizenship.
Oh the link refers to "Canada geese"
If it pleases the court, I scared some of the hoards of geese that hang out hier (google map link)
all that goose poop makes the path there kinda nasty...
/smears poop in failed kicking motion
It pleases highnumber, for whatever that's worth.
(not much)
No, there just really isn't, hence the spaz-outs from folks like Althouse or other people who lose it when someone disagrees with coercive anti-discrimination laws, coercive child-support laws, or whatever. To those people, if you're not for using force to carry out those goals, you're a horrible person who's against those goals.
So it goes.
For the record, the fine was $250 *and* they confiscated 30 pounds of goose liver Sohn had in his freezer. I've been to Hot Doug's a few times -- great place!
The french fries are fried in duck fat, IIRC.
Duck fat fries on the weekends.
I caught the tail end of it.
Just so long as there was no cruelty involved.
Duck fat fries on the weekends.
Fruit flies 24/7.
Anonymous, I hear you. I've been trying unsuccessfully to convince a particular Libertarian Party spokesman to be more tactful, and got about the same reaction you got here. Admittedly, I've been pretty tactless in reprimanding him, so I got what I deserved.
On the other hand, it's a hell of a lot of fun to be snarky when commenting on a blog, so you gotta cut everybody here some slack.
I love Hot Doug's. Good for them. Where else can you get an antelpoe sausage with Gruyere and berry compote?
Glenn:
I would be honored if someone force fed me fat.... especially duck, pig and beef fat...
The cost of the confiscated goose liver has to exceed the amount of the fine by a big factor.
"Mike Lauren" - this thread leads off with Glenn's little animal-rights assault fantasy, and you're going to shake your head at one or two people responding with nothing worse than mild humor to Anonymous?
Cute.
See, I was totally in agreement with Glenn until he started talking about foie gras.
The problem with Glenn's argument is that I wouldn't want ANY of the things done to meat animals done to me, so there's no point to singling out foie gras.
I wouldn't want to get clunked on the head and held in the air while my throat is cut and my blood runs away on to the floor. Does that mean we should ban all kosher meat products?
I wouldn't want my belly cut out and smoked and then sliced into strips to be served alongside some scrambled eggs. Should we ban bacon?
The golden rule doesn't apply to farm animals.
"is there any way for Reasonoids to express their legitimate contempt for the nanny state without coming across as insensitive to animal suffering?"
Yes. By not eating fois gras.
Yes. By not eating fois gras.
Done and done.
Now pass me the foie gras.
All you foie gras haters, you're going on the list.
I'm going to buy my girlfriend a fur coat with my cockfight winnings and then take her to a nice Korean restaurant.
Then she won't be so mad when I go on a fishing trip without her.
You're not on the list, SIV, but I still want some more pro-cockfighting info.
Thoreau, thank you for mentioning the rules.
I admit that foie gras is a Zionist plot to sow dissension amongst the Gentiles. Ha, ha, ha (maniacal laughter)!
Highnumber, please keep me off the list!
Remain apostate and you'll be in the clear.
It's people who anthropomorphise the birds, and are ignorant of the foie gras process who are most likely to think it's cruel. Worry about the birdies packed in at major factory farmers, Glen, not the likes of the Sonoma foie gras birds, who roam free in beautiful northern California. Furthermore, the ducks and geese run up for gavage (the feeding). I've covered this on my blog, from news reports by Andrew Gumbel and others. Gumbel referenced peer-reviewed poultry journals that found no cruelty to the birds in foie gras. What's your source, Glen? Besides your own (probably uninformed) opinion?
The french fries are fried in duck fat, IIRC.
That sounds awesome.
I eat at Hot Doug's all the time and have been for years. The fois gras sausage was not all fois gras but little bits of it in the dog. I have not had it for years but it was ok.
On weekends the fries are indeed cooked in duck fat. I don't go there on weekends because the line is out the door - but they are tasty.
Plus, he has tater tots. I heart tater tots.
I used to consider myself a libertarian but I have found most of you people to be insufferably close-minded and dogmatic. You are opposed to everything the government does, even when it is right.
Regardless of one's political stripes we should all be able to agree that it is beneath us as decent human beings to mistreat animals - and confining them and force feeding them is serious mistreatment.
Those who would treat animals this way for the pleasure of eating their livers or who would do any of the other myriad cruel things that are done to food animals are simply uncivilized.
Animals don't have human rights or privileges but they do have the same capability to feel pain that you do. Show some compassion.
make a deal - you understand the issue here, and then we can address the rest of your points.
VM: OK fair enough. The issue, as it has been framed here in terms of nanny-statism is that the purpose of the ban is to prevent you from eating unhealthy food. I don't know what the motivation of the city government was in instituting the ban and I don't care. I don't care if you eat unhealthy food or drink too much or smoke or use drugs either. Go skydiving or drive race cars too if you want. If you own a restaurant or other place of public accommodation I support your right to allow others to smoke on the premises.
But don't advocate cruelty to animals to make a point about liberty.
The AVMA says it's not cruel.
where's the cruelty to animals?
that's the issue.
I've been to a goose farm in france where the geese were for foie gras.
Have you?
The Humane Society of the United States says it is cruel: http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/research/welfare/the_foie_gras_industry.html
So do many members of the AVMA, since they have introduced resolutions against the practice. No doubt the AVMA is strongly influenced by the food animal industry. This is reflected in the fact that one of the arguments against the resolution is that it would open the discussion to other forms of animal treatment such as veal production - which would put the organization at odds with many of their largest customers.
That stuff is high on the list of Stuff People Eat That Ain't Really Food (other items include balut, snails, mushrooms and anything that comes in a bag with "Golden Arches" on it).
I suppose the Daleyburg Commandos will go after these things next (all except the last, of course).
VM: Have you had a tube stuck down your throat and 45 pounds of ground meal stuffed down it repeatedly until you develop liver disease?
He'll never admit it.
High#:
I thought you'd keep that a secret!!!
hrumph!
aj: *yawn* If my throat's physiology were anything like a waterfowl's, then, again it might be relevant. but it's not.
run along. It's time for my tubing...
/seductively reaches for the noam chomsky blow up doll and 15 feet of surgical tubing...
I will afford the critters the same compassion the law says I have to show a woman. When they tell me "no" I will stop.
and by the way, I have had a tube shoved in my mouth and large quantities of liguid forced into me at the cost of my liver.
VM, lovely weather here today, hope you are having the same. Peace
How to be a libertarian and still show compassion for animal suffering? Jeezus, that one's easy. Butt the hell out of everyone else's dietary practices, and spay your goddamn pet.
I am a vegan second, libertarian first.
and of course aj ran off.
grumble. had he said anything further to me - even a serious statement, I would have replied, "go away! Batin'!"
sigh.
Oh whimsical notion, we hardly knew ye.
"Look at me, I'm eating foie gras and wearing a mohawk. That'lll show Daddy!"
If the state really were my father, you might have a point.
But it's not.
Last time I checked, those who work for the state are supposed to do it at my behest.
I wouldn't want ANY of the things done to meat animals done to me, so there's no point to singling out foie gras.
I wouldn't want any of the things done to plants done to me, so there's no point in singling out animals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN6o8bfz6Nw