An animal rights group sent a cease and desist letter to a Southern restaurant in Washington, D.C., on Friday after residents overwhelmingly voted to ban foie gras in the general election.
Mallard, located in the district’s Logan Circle neighborhood, specializes in preparing the luxury food. Foie gras, which is French for “fat liver,” is made from the enlarged liver of a duck or a goose. The liver becomes fattened when ducks or geese are force-fed multiple times a day through a pipe inserted in the animals’ throats.
The process is highly controversial, which is why 73% of D.C. voters cast their ballots on Tuesday to outlaw the duck specialty. Initiative 86 not only prohibits force-feeding of the birds but also bans the sale and distribution of foie gras products.
The measure is set to take effect in July 2027, giving Mallard eight months before the ban becomes law. Animal Outlook, however, wants to prevent the restaurant from hosting a foie gras-themed dinner on Nov. 12.
The animal advocacy organization argues Mallard’s representation of foie gras as “humanely-raised” in its advertising for the event next Thursday is false and misleading under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The group doesn’t make the case that the restaurant is violating the ballot initiative, which can’t be enforced until next summer.
“Reasonable consumers who do not know how the foie gras sold at your ‘supper series’ was produced are therefore likely to be misled by your claims that it was ‘from humanely-raised ducks,’ as they would not consider the actual practices used to make the product ‘humane’ in any sense of the word,” Ben Williamson, executive director of Animal Outlook, wrote in a copy of the cease and desist letter shared with the Washington Examiner.
Animal Outlook is pressing Mallard to stop advertising its foie gras products as “responsibly-farmed,” “humanely” raised, or similar wording to that effect. The request also concerns the “Supper Series” event in question. Animal Outlook is asking the restaurant to cancel the dinner and contact everyone who registered to clarify that foie gras cannot be “humanely raised.”
Mallard’s owners have until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to Animal Outlook’s demands. In the event of no response, Animal Outlook said it will “pursue all available recourse in a timely manner.”
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Mallard announced the foie gras dinner will cost $125 per guest with optional curated wine pairings priced at $65. The “exclusive communal dining experience,” as the restaurant describes it, is planned to feature four foie gras dishes.
“Foie Gras has been in the headlines recently and, while foie gras’ restaurant availability will likely come to an end next summer in Washington, DC, we remain steadfast champions of this specialty product,” the post reads.
Mallard reposted an Instagram story from Washingtonian food editor Jessica Sidman that promotes next week’s “post-election foie gras specials.”
The Washington Examiner contacted the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which co-owns Mallard with executive chef Hamilton Johnson, for comment on the cease and desist letter.
Once Initiative 86 becomes law, restaurants can be held liable for civil fines of $1,000 to $5,000 per violation of the foie gras ban. For repeated violations, their business licenses can be suspended or revoked. The law will be enforced by the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment.
“Voters in our nation’s capital just told us what they think of foie gras, and they were not ambiguous,” Williamson said in a press release. “Whatever a restaurant’s views on the product, it cannot tell diners that something made by force-feeding ducks through a pipe is humane. That claim is not true, and under D.C. law consumers have a right to truthful information about what they are buying.”
Mallard is one of many restaurants in the district that would be affected by the foie gras ban. Another is Butterworth’s, whose owner pledged to defy the measure.
“I will still be serving it for another decade,” chef Bart Hutchins told the Washington Post on Election Day.
“Between the legal challenges and the city council not being able to afford to fund it, I don’t think it’s ever going to be a statute,” he said. “It’s nothing to be hyperbolic about.”
WASHINGTON, DC SET TO BAN FOIE GRAS AFTER VIRAL CAMPAIGN
Hudson Valley Foie Gras, a poultry farm based in New York, plans to halt the D.C. initiative through legal action. If the foie gras supplier files a lawsuit, Hutchins said he would join.
Since its opening in October 2024, Butterworth’s has become a bustling social hub for conservatives and administration officials. The French bistro and cafe is located on Capitol Hill.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
