Trans fats aren't officially banned in Los Angeles, but that's not stopping restaurants from jumping in the pool. A couple weeks ago, Loews Hotels announced that all of their properties will be trans fat-free by summer 2007, phasing out the use of shortening in French fries and cookies, and phasing in good fat-friendly chips and snacks in the mini-bars. Locally, executive chef Gregg Wangard at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel says that he's not changing ingredients or preparation in his menu creations, just taking out the bad stuff. Basically, we won't even notice. By February, the hotel's Ocean and Vine restaurant will be completely trans fat-free, which not only makes it the first LA hotel to ban that fatty-fat-fat stuff, but also the first non-chain restaurant or theme park.
We took a poll to gauge interest in the LA trans fat ban at the height of holiday gorging season; the response was less than stellar. But now that we all have a healthy New Year on our minds, we'll try again.
T-shirt from the group that sued Kraft for trans fat-filled, but oh-so-delicious Oreos.
