The Swan Song of Duck Foie Gras at Alexander’s Steakhouse San Francisco

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

Countdown to foie gras ban in California is not the only sound that keeps San Francisco gourmands at attention as July 1 is fast approaching. In face of the looming foie deprivation, Alexander’s Steakhouse bar manager Casper Rice in collaboration with the Chef Marc Zimmerman created a twelfth-hour drink that keeps them coming back for more.

Daffy's Slur foie gras cocktail, containing foie gras-infused vodka, hazelnut tincture shocked with carbon dioxide, and strawberry balsamic gastrique among other things might sound like a mad scientist’s rocket fuel experiment discharge, but in reality it’s a refreshingly non-cloying libation of beautiful topaz hue, served on the rocks and topped with a basil leaf.

“We kept a seared lobe of foie gras in a vodka-filled container overnight,” said Casper, explaining the original process. “The product chilled, the solids rose to the top. It was smooth.” Then the master mixologist roasted whole hazelnuts, broke them into large pieces, and used some micro gastronomy methods to extract an array of rich yet subtle flavors from the fatty duck liver, nuts, berries, and spirits, brought together in unexpected harmony.

The resulting cocktail is a thing of beauty. It is so well rounded it’s hard to distinguish the individual flavors that constitute the whole. It’s earthy, nutty, pleasantly bitter, and altogether very satisfying.

Pair it with the Chef’s signature hamachi shots (excellent sashimi with seaweed and sesame served in shot glasses) or, better yet, with a foie gras duo (cold and seared – while it’s still lasts) and you might want to sign the ban protesters’ petition “Stop the tofu abuse, eat foie gras.”Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco is located at 448 Brannan Street. The restaurant is open for dinner nightly from 5:30 PM until close. For more information and reservations, call 415-495-1111 or visit: www.alexanderssteakhouse.com.