Forum to cover meat, rabbits and foie gras
Demo at Santé, magazine article, Facebook posts prompt event
Santé Restaurant and Charcuterie will host a public forum at 6 p.m. on April 10 after a dust-up with people commenting on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Kate Hansen, restaurant manager and co-owner with her husband and executive chef Jeremy Hansen, said the comments started flying over a magazine article posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page describing the way a rabbit was killed there for a demonstration by Oakland, Calif., author and urban farmer Novella Carpenter.
Hansen said the description in the article for Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living magazine was satirical and exaggerated, “A few activists got ahold of this and didn’t understand that it wasn’t true.”
The Hansens felt threatened by a few of the comments posted, which promised to help shutter Santé and hurt owners, she said. Those posts have since been taken down by the authors, Hansen added. The comments also took the restaurant to task for serving foie gras due to concerns about how the geese are fed while being raised.
Hansen said they strive to be very transparent about the food they serve and are very thoughtful about meat eating. It was part of the reason for opening Santé. Jeremy Hansen buys whole animals from local ranchers and butchers the carcasses, utilizing the whole animal.
“It’s good to always talk with people and see where they are coming from. That’s the reason for the forum,” Hansen said. “We wanted to be more direct that just sitting behind the computer.”
Santé owners said they anticipate an emotional discussion that could touch on topics such as eating meat, rabbits, foie gras, conventional factory farming, local eating, organic farming, grass- versus grain-fed livestock during the forum. It will be mediated by a lawyer.
Hansen said she doesn’t expect those who sparked the discussion to attend; they accused the restaurant of turning the Facebook flap into a media event.
The forum is open to the public and will be at the restaurant, 404 W. Main Ave. Hansen said they ask that people RSVP so they know how many to expect. Reach the restaurant at (509) 315-4613.
They’ve also created a Facebook event that can be found on the restaurant’s page called “Eating Ethically – A Town Hall Forum at Santé.”