Chefs Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook have committed the ultimate French offense: They placed foie gras on a biscuit. The result is an oral ecstasy that's a twist on the biscuits and gravy these Floridians savored as kids. The cold slice of Canadian foie gras is liberally salted and caramelized and tastes so decadent, you'd think it's poele, the Gallic take on fresh fried goose liver. It's combined with a creamy sausage gravy comprising rendered bacon-pork shoulder bits, garlic, parsley, maple syrup, black pepper and Tabasco. Concocted soon after Animal's June 2008 opening, the dish was snubbed by the L.A. Times as "too cloying to live." Dotolo and Shook smartly ignored the critique: At 24 servings a night, it's their hottest item, justifying their weekly $1,200 foie gras bill. At $24 for a tiny serving, you walk out slowly, stuffed and content. 435 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax District. (323) 782-9225, animalrestaurant.com.

—Anthony D'Alessandro