The City of Chicago has enforced its ban on foie gras — not against a tony French restaurant — but against a hot dog stand. The joint, Hot Doug’s, has been fined $250 and has been forced to remove foie gras from its menu. Chicago banned foie gras last August.

Diners are not better off when our food choices are limited by fiat. Americans should have the liberty to choose what food to eat, whether it’s beef Wellington or sausages flavored with foie gras. Prohibition of alcohol was a failure; now Chicagoans are trying to sneak in foie gras disguised by hot dog speak-easies.

Foie gras is delicious. It is an essential ingredient in making some favorite foods. Even if foie gras is not a favorite food for you, the nanny state has no business limiting choices in food. Just as Voltaire defended the right to speak for those who disagreed with him, I encourage everyone to eat the food they want to eat. Even celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck has caved in to the anti-foie gras bandwagon. Beef Wellington does not taste as good when made without foie gras.

As the nanny state reaches into restaurant kitchens, true foodies will have to retreat to their home kitchens where they can use illicit ingredients. Foie gras may become the foodies version of bathtub gin. Psst…come over for foie gras!