Trotter won't turn down heat in foie gras flap

Charlie Trotter now says that using the words „dumb,“ „idiot“ and „not the smartest guy on the block“ to describe a rival chef — before suggesting that the chef’s liver be served up „as a little treat“ — is not generally his „M.O.“ when it comes to collegial disagreements.

„I’m not trying to hurt anybody, whether it’s Chef [Rick] Tramonto or a foie gras farm or anybody else,“ Trotter said.

Nonetheless, Trotter isn’t apologizing for his harsh statements made to support his opinion that the production of foie gras — the enlarged liver of a duck or goose — is too cruel for the dish to be served.

„You know what? If I hear something that I don’t like, I will say whatever it takes, and I’ll send a message,“ Trotter said. „If I have to use some sarcasm or open a can of whup-ass or do whatever, I’ll do what I have to do.“

Trotter certainly opened a can of something with his comments in last week’s Tribune. Since the celebrated chef announced that he quit serving foie gras at his four-star North Side restaurant about three years ago, he has been at the center of a tempest in a crockpot, with the story gaining national media attention.

Although a New York Times editorial agreed with his views on foie gras, Trotter has taken a slew of public relations hits for his roasting of Tramonto. But perhaps most damning for Trotter were the charges of hypocrisy when, the night of the Tribune story’s publication, chefs at a Food & Wine Best New Chefs party in Manhattan buzzed that foie gras had been served at Charlie Trotter’s just two weeks earlier.

Anthony Bourdain, author of the best seller „Kitchen Confidential“ and executive chef of New York’s Les Halles, was at the Food & Wine event and said Trotter’s comments about foie gras and Tramonto were „the talk of the party.“

„He’s easy to pick on,“ Bourdain said. „He’s not exactly famous for his sense of humor. There is an element of schoolyard pile-on in this case, vicarious enjoyment of his embarrassment.“

The New York Post’s „Page Six“ gossip column subsequently reported that „Trotter served three courses featuring foie gras“ at his restaurant. In fact the dishes were prepared by guest chefs Tetsuya Wakuda and Heston Blumenthal.

Trotter expressed no embarrassment and said he wasn’t being hypocritical, just consistent with his stance of not trying to impose his personal feelings about foie gras on other chefs.

„Yeah, it was served,“ Trotter said. „I didn’t serve it. They wanted to have it represent what their cuisine was, and I said, `Fine, you can do it.'“

Bourdain, who has been criticizing Trotter on the foodie Web site eGullet.org, was not convinced by Trotter’s logic.

„The fact that he himself did not prepare those foie gras dishes is a hair-thin distinction,“ Bourdain said. „But I think the reason this is a hot topic is that chefs are still under fire on this issue.“

Activists are active

Animal-rights activists have conducted an aggressive campaign against foie gras, with restaurants, foie gras farms and at least one Bay Area chef’s home suffering vandalism in recent years. The groups scored a major victory last September when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill outlawing the production and sale of foie gras made from force-fed birds as of 2012.

By definition, foie gras comes from force-fed birds, with grains dropped into the duck or goose through a tube inserted down its hard esophagus, causing the liver to balloon.

In February, state Sen. Kay Wojcik (R-Schaumburg) introduced a similar bill in Illinois, though it has been amended to apply only to foie gras production, which doesn’t occur in Illinois. Trotter has distanced himself from the animal-rights activists (he previously called them „idiots“) and said he doesn’t support the Illinois bill.

Nevertheless, Bourdain said, „There’s a lot of ill will toward Charlie because of the timing of this. This came hot on the heels of this wave of political correctness that resulted in foie being pulled from menus.

„Deep inside most of us believe that people who agree with Charlie and PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] will win the day. The bad guys will win.“

But Trotter retorted that in this case, maybe the animal rights folks are on the side of good. „I know it’s not making it easier for chefs, but is that a bad thing?“ Trotter said. „Would chefs suddenly feel like they were less of a chef if they were no longer able to serve foie gras? I would hope not.“

Trotter maintains that his visits to three foie gras farms convinced him that the force-feeding process causes the ducks to suffer.

Differing views

The owners of North America’s handful of foie gras farms dispute Trotter’s descriptions and say the ducks don’t suffer. Others in the restaurant industry have contended that conditions are far worse for mass-produced chicken and pork.

„How many chicken farms are there and everything else?“ Trotter asked. „How can one small restaurant affect all that? Well, it can’t.“

To Robert Buxbaum, manager the eGullet site, the most interesting aspect of the foie gras flap has been the exposed underbelly of inter-chef dynamics.

„Chefs in London are noted for stepping out of the kitchen and arguing with diners on the floor, but that doesn’t happen in New York or Chicago as far as I know,“ Buxbaum said. „Most chefs are respectful to other chefs, at least in public.“

Trotter’s outburst against Tramonto was prompted by Tramonto’s suggestion that Trotter’s position was „a little hypocritical because animals are raised to be slaughtered and eaten every day.“

This week Tramonto would comment only through a statement released by his publicist: „We have received a tremendous amount of positive support from both our clientele and people in the restaurant industry, and I personally would like to thank everyone. I have also always had a tremendous amount of respect for Charlie Trotter, his restaurant and what Trotter has done for fine dining in Chicago and America, and that still continues.“

Trotter said his business hasn’t suffered either.

„We got a lot of people saying, `Charlie, thank God you’re standing up for this cause.’ We got a couple saying, `Oh, why did you have to get down in the mud with that guy?'“