Indiana Chef Goes Off on Foie-Gras Hating 'Food Terrorists'

The state of Indiana has been no stranger to controversy lately, but according to WSBT News, one local chef has recently decided to fan the flames of a different restaurant-related conundrum: that of the ethicality of foie gras.

There are few controversies in the food world as prickly as that of the ethics of the production and sale of foie gras. Literally meaning "fat liver," foie gras, which is created by force-feeding geese and ducks for the purpose of artificially fattening their livers, is reviled by animal rights activists but defended by many in restaurant industry.

Kurt Janowsky, proprietor of Cafe Navarre in South Bend, Ind., belongs firmly in the latter camp, to put it mildly. Janowsky post an epic, angry rant on Facebook against diners and others who have left negative reviews for Cafe Navarre because of the restaurant's policy of serving foie gras on its menu. In one post, which was deleted minutes ago, he decried "food terrorists," vowing that because "you have made me angry we are going to serve foie on every menu from now on" and declaring "I will not make decisions based on what people who have never been to our restaurant and who do not live in this area tell me to do."

In a later post, which has also been deleted, Janowsky doubled down on his earlier statement and said that for every negative review that mentioned foie gras that the restaurant received, he would give away a different preparation of foie gras:

Many prominent chefs, like Ludo Lefebvre and José Andrés, support the use of foie gras in restaurants. Others, like Wolfgang Puck and the late Charlie Trotter, have gone on the record against the use of the luxury liver product.