Josiah Citrin was lucky enough to have some foie gras leftover from a private party he did on New Year's Eve. Well those lucky lobes will end up on the menu, legally, tonight at Melisse in Santa Monica. After speaking briefly with Citrin, who was thrilled at the news, the chef plans to put a foie gras supplement on the $135 tasting menu tonight. For just $10 more dollars, diners can enjoy one of the first legal servings of foie gras in Los Angeles for more than two years. Remember that while foie gras was banned in California back in 2004, the effect of the law went into place in 2012.
Just this afternoon, Eater SF reported that a judge struck down the ban as unconstitutional, making it legal to serve the fatty duck liver in restaurants. Remember to thank your lucky stars that a restaurant like Hot's Kitchen continued to fight for the right to serve foie gras despite the ban.
Tonight, Citrin plans to sear foie gras and serve it with some very seasonal turnip and blood orange that he got from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market this morning. Will you be one of the first to try foie gras legally tonight in Los Angeles?