THE PRICE HIKE

Foie gras, the humane (in our opinion) delicacy of fattened duck liver that is the pride and joy of New York’s Hudson River Valley, is now illegal to sell in California. And despite an excellent report by Bloomberg News (my employer) that the ban won’t really be enforced, Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry has pledged to abide by the law. So it goes that the three Michelin-starred venue has replaced its $30 optional foie gras supplement (always the second course) with a $75 black truffle supplement, a classic Keller move. Some will see this as a $45 price hike. Others will point out that Keller charges $100 for Australian truffles in New York. Either way, you’re likely to have a fine meal at The Laundry, so we’ll call this one a #BUY (See our previous coverage of California’s foie gras ban). Keep in mind that the chef’s menu remains at $270 per person, service included.