A foie gras dish with peaches from The Stanley in Elizabeth. Kristen Wile/UP

Q: What do you think of NYC banning foie gras?
UP: I’m torn on this one. If you haven’t read about this yet, New York City will ban foie gras starting in 2022. I love the taste of foie gras, but hate where it comes from. Ducks are force-fed through a feeding tube, to a point where their livers are extremely swollen. That swollen liver makes foie gras. There is no doubt it’s a cruel process. However, there are a lot of cruel aspects to the way we eat, which is why I’m against the ban. Any time you eat mass produced chicken, you’re eating an animal who has lived in a space so small they can’t move. I believe if most people knew how foie gras was produced, they wouldn’t eat it. So, I believe a better way to go about lessening the practice of force-feeding ducks would be to educate the public on what they’re eating, and let them decide whether they want to support that buy ordering it.

Q: Are y’all going to do a list of places that are doing Thanksgiving this year? I know the hotel restaurants, but anywhere else?
UP: We are! Our running list is live now, and we’ll keep adding to it. Most of the places you’ll find open are in hotels or chain steakhouses, but there are some other great options, too. Mimosa Grill, The Flipside Restaurant, and Pilot Brewing are among them.

Q: Do you sell gift memberships?
UP: We sure do! We think the gift of great food is one of the best things you can give, so we sell one-year gift subscriptions. We’ll mail you a card so you have something physical to give, too. Buy them here!

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