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D.C. voters I-86'ed foie gras. But the luxury liver won't be disappearing from city menus just yet — and a legal fight is already brewing.

Why it matters: Tuesday's vote sets up a potentially messy next chapter: funding the ban, enforcing it, and defending against legal challenges that have stalled a similar prohibition in New York City for years.

Driving the news: Initiative 86 passed with over 73% of the vote as of early Wednesday, according to unofficial results from the D.C. Board of Elections, following a campaign by Pro-Animal DC that collected a record 31,726 valid signatures to qualify for November's ballot.

The measure prohibits force-feeding birds to enlarge their livers — no foie farms exist in D.C. — along with the commercial sale and distribution of foie gras and other fattened bird liver products.

The ban would begin July 1, 2027, provided the city funds its implementation.

The big picture: What started as a niche D.C. ballot initiative became an unlikely national election story — drawing condemnation from celebrity chef José Andrés, attention from the likes of Bon Appetit, and a dedicated New York Times foie results needle.

What they're saying: "Tonight D.C. decided that force-feeding a bird has no place here," Cady Witt, campaign director of Pro-Animal DC, said in a statement shared with Axios.

D.C. Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George also voted for the initiative, telling the 51st's Martin Austermuhle: "I've been an advocate for animals and animal rights."

How it works: Restaurants and retailers would have to stop selling foie gras, including dishes containing it — think pâtés, rillettes, etc.

Commercial imports and distribution would also be prohibited, though implications for personal online orders remain unclear.

Violators face fines of $1,000 to $5,000 per violation, with each additional day counting separately. Repeat offenders could lose their business licenses.

Yes, but: The city still needs to pay for enforcement.

D.C.'s chief financial officer estimates implementation would cost $314,000 over four fiscal years — money not currently budgeted.

The Department of Energy and Environment would hire an additional inspector, investigate complaints and coordinate with DC Health.

The other side: Hudson Valley Foie Gras, one of America's two major producers, is already consulting attorneys about challenging the ban, as Axios first reported.

"I'm already working with my lawyers," vice president Marcus Henley told Axios before the vote.

"There are no ducks that are being fed for foie gras in D.C.," he says. "And they're telling me as a New York farmer that I can't sell my products in D.C. That's unconstitutional on several grounds."

Henley says the timing of any lawsuit depends on his attorneys' advice and that D.C.'s legal expenses could dwarf its implementation budget. "That's a drop in the eventual bucket."

Context: Hudson Valley and fellow producer La Belle Farm helped stall NYC's 2019 foie gras ban through litigation.

A New York appeals court sided with the city in March, but the producers and state sought further review in July.

The distinction: The dispute involves New York agricultural protections that don't automatically apply in D.C.

Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023 rejected an interstate-commerce challenge to California's restrictions on sales of certain pork products.

Back in D.C., Butterworth's chef Bart Hutchins is also exploring a legal challenge.

The Capitol Hill restaurateur served a $150, four-course foie gras protest menu through Election Day, with proceeds earmarked for a legal defense fund.

Hutchins says the restaurant flew through roughly 80 pounds of foie gras — a whopping amount given a typical restaurant serving is 2-3 ounces — and he's planning on supporting Hudson Valley in their legal challenge.

As the duck fight goes down, he plans to add even more foie to the menu, including his newly famous foie gras twinkie.

"It's going to be over the top," Hutchins tells Axios. "If we lose in the courts, and we lose with the City Council, and they're willing to waste money on this, you know: I'm going to go down in a blaze of foie gras glory."

Another wrinkle: Critics argue the initiative's broad wording could unintentionally prohibit other poultry-liver products, including ordinary chopped liver.

Organizers insist they're targeting foie gras and have suggested lawmakers could clarify the wording.

The intrigue: Diners can still cross into Virginia or Maryland for foie gras. Pro-Animal DC organizers previously told Axios they're not planning similar campaigns in neighboring states, where sales are less concentrated.

What's next: D.C. lawmakers must address funding and implementation, and the measure will need to clear congressional review before becoming law.

The bottom line: Voters have settled the foie gras question at the ballot box. Whether the delicacy actually disappears from D.C. menus — and when — may be decided in court.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest unofficial results from the D.C. Board of Elections.

D.C. bans foie gras. The fight's not over.

The proposed ban appears poised to pass, but a major producer is preparing for a potential court fight — and questions remain about when foie gras will actually disappear from menus.

The Lamb Tartare at Butterworth's Restaurant photographed April 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Foie-capped lamb tartare at Butterworth's, where chef Bart Hutchins has been fighting the proposed foie ban. Photo: Scott Suchman for The Washington Post via Getty Images

D.C. voters I-86&#x27;ed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="foie gras" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/21/dc-foie-gras-ban-ballot-initiative-fight" data-vars-content-id="1822e75d-4609-4af9-8e34-e93f2a2d151b" data-vars-headline="D.C. bans foie gras. The fight&#x27;s not over." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/21/dc-foie-gras-ban-ballot-initiative-fight" target="_self">foie gras</a>. But the luxury liver won&#x27;t be disappearing from city menus just yet — and a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="legal fight" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/29/dc-foie-gras-ban-legal-challenge-hudson-valley" data-vars-content-id="1822e75d-4609-4af9-8e34-e93f2a2d151b" data-vars-headline="D.C. bans foie gras. The fight&#x27;s not over." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/29/dc-foie-gras-ban-legal-challenge-hudson-valley" target="_self">legal fight</a> is already brewing.Why it matters: Tuesday&#x27;s vote sets up a potentially messy next chapter: funding the ban, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="enforcing it" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/23/jose-andres-dc-foie-gras-ban-chef-protest" data-vars-content-id="1822e75d-4609-4af9-8e34-e93f2a2d151b" data-vars-headline="D.C. bans foie gras. The fight&#x27;s not over." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/23/jose-andres-dc-foie-gras-ban-chef-protest" target="_self">enforcing it</a>, and defending against legal challenges that have stalled a similar prohibition in New York City for years.

News

Politics

Georgetown is already D.C.'s hottest dining neighborhood du jour — but it's about to get a lot spicier.

Driving the news: Spicewalla, a technicolor spice bazaar, opens its first brick-and-mortar shop outside of Asheville on Friday.

It's the latest local venture from James Beard Award-winning chefs Meherwan and Molly Irani, behind Union Market's Chai Pani and just-opened Botiwalla in Tenleytown.

The vibe: "A magic spice fairy cave wonderland experience," Irani tells Axios.

The colorful marketplace is stocked with freshly roasted and ground spices, dish-ready blends and new kits — two years in the making — for recreating Chai Pani's famous butter chicken and saag.

About half the shop is devoted to goodies from small Southeast producers, including hot sauces, chocolates, condiments and more.

Colorful spice shop scene split across two panels: a large yellow marigold chandelier and shelves of spices on the left; on the right, a navy SpiceWalla T-shirt hangs beside cans and boxed goods.

The shop will host events like spice blending classes, and has a section for local artisans. Photo: Courtesy Scott Suchman

The intrigue: Irani launched Spicewalla after opening Chai Pani in Asheville, building a wholesale business that now supplies around 3,000 restaurants and markets.

Its retail side took off during the pandemic, when restaurant shutdowns sent home cooks scrambling for inspiration.

The appetite hasn't cooled. Irani says shoppers increasingly crave experiences and connection — which Spicewalla delivers through demos, cooking classes and events.

What they're saying: "We don't think of it as a spice store, no more than an art supply store thinks of itself as just selling paint. We're an aspirational store where people come in inspired to cook."

Vibrant spice display with colorful SpiceWalla jars and boxes stacked on shelves, bowls of ground spices on a blue table, set against a bright mural.

A spice experience! Photo: Courtesy Scott Suchman

What's next: Expect spice-blending classes and collaborations with D.C. chefs, alongside everything you'd need for a three-hour biryani project.

The bottom line: "A tin of spices is the furthest from a meal anybody will ever get," Irani jokes. Spicewalla wants to make that journey a little easier — and a lot more delicious.

If you go: Spicewalla. 1317 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Exclusive: Take the first look inside Georgetown's Spicewalla

Take the first look inside Spicewalla's technicolor shop from the James Beard-winning chefs behind Chai Pani.

Two tigers hold a red SpiceWalla banner with a globe logo in front of a marigold garlanded red velvet backdrop; right shelves display colorful spice boxes and jars.

Spicewalla, "a magic spice fairy cave" of a shop, opens in Georgetown. Photo: Courtesy Scott Suchman

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Georgetown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/02/georgetown-dc-little-treat-snacks-guide" data-vars-content-id="752ce1be-ca0d-40d7-9e81-16b2beebeab1" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Take the first look inside Georgetown&#x27;s Spicewalla" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/10/02/georgetown-dc-little-treat-snacks-guide" target="_self">Georgetown</a> is already D.C.&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hottest dining neighborhood" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/08/08/georgetown-guide-new-restaurants-bars-shops" data-vars-content-id="752ce1be-ca0d-40d7-9e81-16b2beebeab1" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Take the first look inside Georgetown&#x27;s Spicewalla" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/08/08/georgetown-guide-new-restaurants-bars-shops" target="_self">hottest dining neighborhood</a> du jour — but it&#x27;s about to get a lot spicier.Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Spicewalla" data-vars-click-url="https://www.spicewallabrand.com/" data-vars-content-id="752ce1be-ca0d-40d7-9e81-16b2beebeab1" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Take the first look inside Georgetown&#x27;s Spicewalla" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.spicewallabrand.com/" target="_blank">Spicewalla</a>, a technicolor spice bazaar, opens its first brick-and-mortar shop outside of Asheville on Friday.

Food and Drink

Two pizza pop-ups are hitting the DMV this week, courtesy of some of the hottest names in the local food scene.

Why it matters: Pizza is always better with friends — but dreamed up by these talented buds (and cousins)? Can't miss it.

🗽 From the Bronx to Del Ray: James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Paola Velez joins Stracci Pizza chef-owner Tom Cardarelli for three nights of NYC bodega-inspired treats, starting tonight.

On the menu: Chopped cheese meets Roman-style pizzas ($23), plantain sticky buns with maple ice cream ($16) and other sweets.

After a difficult year recovering from a surgery, Velez says she's pushing herself to bake again and "make some Del Ray folk smile with some whacky pizza and sweets."

Go: 5pm until sold out through Thursday. Walk-ins only.

Three-panel collage: left shows a man in black and a woman in a purple apron at a pizza place; middle caramel-glazed pastry with ice cream on a plate; right slice of pizza with greens on a checkered liner.

Stracci's Tom Cardarelli (left) with Paola Velez; her famous plantain sticky buns; chopped cheese pizza. Photos: Courtesy Paola Velez 

🦀 A family affair: Cousins Andy Brown (Andy's Pizza) and Emily Brown (Eebee's Corner Bar) reunite over a Maryland-inspired crab and artichoke pie. The duo once slung pizzas together at breweries.

The crispy Sicilian-style creation channels Eebee's beloved dip with blue crab, artichokes, cheese and Old Bay.

Slices ($7.50) or pies ($35) at Andy's Wednesday through Nov. 25; $12 mini pies at Eebee's Nov. 20–Dec. 4. Proceeds benefit the Capital Area Food Bank.

🍻Don't miss: Wednesday's launch party at Andy's Shaw, 5:30–7:30pm. Tickets $47+ (online, in person) include two slices and an open bar.

Two hot pizza pop-ups are taking over the DMV this week

Chopped cheese pizza, Maryland crab dip pies and other treats from some of the hottest names in the biz.

A crab pizza on a red-and-white checkered paper, topped with a lemon wedge, chopped green onions, and a light sprinkle of paprika.

Andy's x Eebee's crab dip pie. Photo: Courtesy of Andy Brown

Two pizza pop-ups are hitting the DMV this week, courtesy of some of the hottest names in the local food scene.Why it matters: Pizza is always better with friends — but dreamed up by these talented buds (and cousins)? Can&#x27;t miss it.

Something is stirring in the former Bold Fork Books space — and thankfully for Mt. Pleasant's fiercely local business community, it's not another Tatte.

Driving the news: Beloved neighborhood grocer Each Peach Market is taking over the former bookshop next door, turning the cozy space into a gift wonderland opening Small Business Saturday (Nov. 28).

And this isn't just a holiday fling. Owner Emily Friedberg tells Axios the market plans to keep the space year-round, though exactly what comes next is TBD.

"The pop-up is kind of an experiment," she says.

Why it matters: Mt. Pleasant is one of D.C.'s best neighborhoods for independent foodie finds, and Each Peach — equal parts neighborhood grocery and specialty food destination — is getting some much-needed breathing room to grow.

State of play: Friedberg and her team are filling the new shop with candles, ceramics, kitchenware, gifts for coffee and cheese lovers, holiday panettone and all the goodies that tend to get lost in Each Peach's packed gour-maze.

Think everything from fancy Chemex coffee gear to little treats like butter ornaments, martini earrings, soaps and face masks.

For edible gifting, look for holiday cookie boxes, gourmet gift baskets, New Year's Eve cheese boards and more.

Prices will run the gamut, with an emphasis on small producers, local makers and gifts with a good story.

Context: Bold Fork's closure in September, after six years, was a blow to the neighborhood. The food-focused independent bookstore cited tough operating conditions — a familiar struggle for D.C.'s small businesses.

The big picture: Each Peach has operated its kitchen behind 3064 Mt. Pleasant St. NW for more than a decade, including during its Pear Plum Cafe days. Taking over the neighboring storefront gives the market room to stretch its legs — and a dedicated home for cheese and wine classes.

Friedberg says customers are increasingly turning to Each Peach for specialty finds and little indulgences — whether to treat themselves or someone else.

If you go: The holiday pop-up will be open Saturdays and Sundays through the New Year, with tastings on Thursday evenings and private shopping appointments available on other days.

The bottom line: Whatever comes next, the market's philosophy isn't changing: "We want a little something for everyone. And we always have a 'keep it cute' policy — it has to look good, taste good, and have a real place on the shelf."

Exclusive: Each Peach has big plans for former Bold Fork Books

The beloved Mt. Pleasant market is expanding next door with holiday gifts, foodie finds and a little mystery about what's next.

Wooden shelf with merchandise: cream and light-blue caps left, a candle and brown jar center, boxes and orange packets top right, red Amaretti tins and colorful tins bottom right.

Each Peach is stocking the shelves of its holiday pop-up with sweets, treats and food-related gifts. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Friedberg

Something is stirring in the former <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bold Fork Books" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/07/23/dc-book-clubs" data-vars-content-id="90fedb9e-b388-4507-850b-af56d2bc9143" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Each Peach has big plans for former Bold Fork Books" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/07/23/dc-book-clubs" target="_self">Bold Fork Books</a> space — and thankfully for Mt. Pleasant&#x27;s fiercely local business community, it&#x27;s not another Tatte.Driving the news: Beloved neighborhood grocer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Each Peach Market" data-vars-click-url="https://eachpeachmarket.com/" data-vars-content-id="90fedb9e-b388-4507-850b-af56d2bc9143" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Each Peach has big plans for former Bold Fork Books" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://eachpeachmarket.com/" target="_blank">Each Peach Market</a> is taking over the former bookshop next door, turning the cozy space into a gift wonderland opening Small Business Saturday (Nov. 28).

Things to Do

A gunman killed one person inside a Logan Circle gym and shot four others from his apartment balcony Thursday morning, before setting a fire and fatally shooting himself, police say.

The big picture: The shooting triggered a massive law enforcement response in one of D.C.'s busiest neighborhoods, prompting residents to shelter in place and nearly a dozen nearby schools to go into lockdown.

The latest: At an afternoon press conference, interim MPD chief Jeffery W. Carroll identified the suspect as 55-year-old Matt Wade Lambert, who lived in the apartment building connected to VIDA Fitness, where police say he fatally shot one person.

The man killed was 46-year-old James Stuart, the building's manager and a Northwest D.C. resident, Carroll said.

Police believe the shooting was linked to an ongoing dispute between Lambert and his condominium association over maintenance issues, including mold. Lambert had filed a lawsuit against the association in March 2025.

What we know: Police responded to a shooting inside VIDA Fitness, at 15th and P streets NW, just before 8am. Additional reports of shootings nearby followed within minutes.

The victims: Stuart was pronounced dead inside VIDA. Two men and two women were hospitalized after being shot outside, Carroll said. One remains in critical condition; the other three sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The shooter: Police say Lambert shot Stuart inside the gym with a handgun before returning to his apartment in the same building, where he fired at four people below from an upper-level private balcony.

The standoff: MPD reported a barricade situation in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW. Lambert barricaded himself in his seventh-floor apartment and fired twice through the door at responding officers, Carroll said. None were injured.

The fire: Lambert broke a gas line connected to his fireplace and started a fire inside the apartment, Carroll said. Flames were visible outside the building, but sprinklers helped contain the blaze. Police recovered gasoline and other flammable materials.

The weapons: Investigators recovered a handgun, shotgun and rifle from Lambert's apartment. Carroll said the suspect used all three firearms, none of which were registered in D.C.

Police negotiators heard a gunshot while speaking with Lambert by phone, after which he stopped responding. Tactical officers forced entry and found him suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

MPD announced around 11:10am that the barricade had ended and the scene was safe.

People stand behind police tape as law enforcement respond to the scene of a shooting in Logan Circle.

People stand behind police tape in Logan Circle early Thursday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Zoom out: The huge law enforcement response blocked off nearby streets and the neighborhood Whole Foods. 

Nearly a dozen DC Public Schools in the vicinity, from Columbia Heights to Adams Morgan, went into lockdown, and later resumed activity before noon. 

Police helicopters circled overhead throughout the morning, rattling windows in surrounding neighborhoods.

Carroll said the shootings themselves likely unfolded in less than five minutes, though investigators are still reconstructing the timeline.

A U.S. Park Police helicopter flies overhead following a shooting in Logan Circle.

A U.S. Park Police helicopter flies above the scene. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

U.S. Marshal officers move position at the scene of a shooting in Logan Circle.

U.S. Marshal officers move position at the scene of the Logan Circle shooting. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

A woman and two kids cross the street as law enforcement respond to the shooting in Logan Circle.

Residents cross a street as law enforcement responds to the shooting. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

What we don't know: Police have not determined whether Lambert knew the four surviving victims or deliberately targeted them. 

The precise timeline and extent of the suspected planning also remain under investigation.

Context: The shooting prompted a massive response from local and federal authorities, including MPD, D.C. Fire and EMS, U.S. Park Police, Metro Transit Police and other federal law enforcement agencies.

Asked whether the show of force was due to the shooting's proximity to the White House, roughly a mile away, Carroll said it was because police were responding to an active shooter. "The expectation is folks will go there to try to stop the loss of life," he said. Mayor Bowser confirmed the White House had been briefed.

President Trump has surged federal law enforcement in D.C. through his Safe and Beautiful Task Force. In a speech before the midterms last week, Trump declared D.C. "one of the safest cities in the country."

Asked about Trump's role in reducing crime during Thursday's morning briefing, Bowser pushed back: "I praise MPD for bringing down crime in the city, and I praise our prosecutors."

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

National

Logan Circle gunman shot 4 from balcony, started fire, police say

Police believe the shooting was linked to a dispute between the suspect and his condominium association over maintenance issues.

Law enforcement personnel walk under police tape at the scene of a shooting in D.C.

Law enforcement personnel respond to the Thursday morning shooting in Logan Circle. Photo: Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images

Anna Spiegel

Featured stories

Logan Circle gunman shot 4 from balcony, started fire, police say

Exclusive: Each Peach has big plans for former Bold Fork Books

Two hot pizza pop-ups are taking over the DMV this week

Exclusive: Take the first look inside Georgetown's Spicewalla

D.C. bans foie gras. The fight's not over.