Animal rights activists protested a very special dinner Thursday night in San Francisco, one that featured foie gras, the succulent and soon-to-be-banned duck's liver of note. Activists with the Animal Protection and Rescue League learned of the location of the dinner — which had not only been guarded "for fear of drawing the attention of protesters," but also because foodies love nothing more than anything billed "secret" (e.g., secret menus, secret nighttime dining, secret just shut-up already).
Mirepoix USA hosted the $65 dinner at LesConcierges at 77 Maiden Lane. The company sells a slew of luxury items like truffles, fine sausages, pate, cheeses, caviar, and, yes, foie gras. According to KTVU, "tonight's dinner will serve six foie gras-based hors d'oeuvres using foie gras sourced from N.Y.-based Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the nation's largest producer of the food." The sole California producer of the infamous liver, Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras, has "cleared nearly all of its inventory as of Monday."
On July 1, legislation banning the sale or production of foie gras will go into effect.
UPDATE: The dinner was Thursday night, not tonight as initially reported.