LudoBites' foie gras quesadilla draws protesters

Fans of pop-up restaurant LudoBites weren't the only ones who showed up to dinner last night for chef Ludo Lefebvre's foie gras quesadillas. Protesters from the Animal Protection and Rescue League gathered at Casa Pulido in Redondo Beach, holding signs and shouting, "Shame!" to some diners as they walked into the restaurant  -- where the final episode of the TV series "LudoBites America" was being shot.  

A melee of protesters, police and a camera crew crowded in front of the restaurant. "People are asking if this is part of the production," Ludo's wife and LudoBites partner, Krissy Lefebvre, said. "What production? This is a restaurant!" 

Meanwhile, diners were bent on getting their fattened duck liver. "At least one per table except the vegetarian table [ordered the foie gras], and many ordered two," Krissy Lefebvre said, "plus a couple of folks ordered a third."

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How the heck do you pronounce Gaglioppo, anyway?

-- Betty Hallock

Photo: Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times

Sampler Platter: Pez, caviar, tortas and Tijuana cuisine

Can you catch mad cow from fish? Where can you eat in Tijuana if you're not a drunk weekender? Can mannequins commit indecency? These questions and more answered in today's roundup of food news.

• Pez Candy Inc. sues Pez museum for copyright infringement. Laughing Squid 
• Teenage Glutster revels in Tijuana cuisine: smoked marlin tacos, abalone chorizo sopes, apple-guava tart and more.
• The mascot for an Ohio BBQ restaurant can continue to wear her halter top. Dayton Daily News 
• Petrossian is revived: more than just caviar. Gourmet Pigs
• Whole Foods will submit its private label products to testing for genetically engineered organisms. New Mexico Business Weekly 
• Hudson House: $10-and-under gastropub in Redondo Beach. Caroline On Crack 
• Scientists worry about mad cow disease from farmed fish that are fed cow byproducts. Reuters
• LA.foodblogging visits Cook's Tortas in Monterey Park.
• Obama administration vows to toughen food safety standards. Wall Street Journal

--Elina Shatkin

Photo: Deviled eggs topped with caviar. Credit: Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times