Fit: Foil Naughty Oils

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CHICAGO'S FOIE GRAS BAN seemed silly to chef Rahman Harper, known as "Chef Rock" to his staff at B. Smith's in Union Station. And D.C.'s impending smoking ban? Another bad idea, he thought. So, at first he felt the same way about New York City's decision to go trans fat-free.

"But then I did a little research on what trans fats are," he said. "And I realized that we need to do something." After all, a menu of fried chicken, cheese grits and barbecued ribs is probably never going to win nutritionist accolades, but using oil with trans fats made dishes much more hazardous to diners' health — not only increasing their bad cholesterol (or LDL), but decreasing their good cholesterol (HDL). "Our cuisine is always going to be labeled a guilty pleasure, but it doesn't need to be that bad," said Rock, who switched oils last month and now proudly proclaims B. Smith's a trans fat-free zone.

While all 20,000 Big Apple eateries must start cutting out their trans fats, only a handful of Washington's restaurants are following suit. It's not so surprising, since trans fats are entrenched in American food, for understandable reasons. "The stuff tastes good, is easier to handle and has a long shelf life," explained David von Storch, owner of the Capital City Brewing Company, which also just announced its decision to take trans fats off the menu by Feb. 1.

As a health nut (he also owns downtown D.C.'s Vida Fitness), von Storch had been concerned about trans fats for some time, but before New York brought the issue to light, he had trouble convincing his staff that it was worth the extra expense to buy canola oil and different prepared products. "It's not something customers have been rushing in with pitchforks demanding," he said.

But that may be because diners don't realize that fried foods often have trans fats in them already when they're delivered from the supplier. And french fries or burgers just get higher in cholesterol and calories if restaurants fry them in more trans fats after that. Then there are croissants and muffins — scrumptious breakfast to-gos — but often packed with offending fats.

A meal like that is bad news, said Tracy Gensler, a registered dietitian who serves as the staff nutritionist for Rock Creek Restaurant in Bethesda. "There's no safe amount. Just avoid it altogether," said Gensler, who notes that Rock Creek has never had any trans fats in its foods and offers full nutritional information for each of its dishes.

But in the competitive restaurant industry, very few establishments are going to go the healthy route without government intervention, von Storch said. Carol Joynt, owner of Nathan's Restaurant in Georgetown (which switched to trans fat-free oil six months ago), agreed. "It's all up to [mayor-elect] Adrian Fenty. But customers shouldn't have to worry about it. They should know they're getting a quality meal," Joynt said.

In the meantime, customers shouldn't be ashamed to quiz their waiters about the food. "It's definitely appropriate to ask. Anyone who scoffs at your question is ridiculous," said Rock. An informed diner will probably be a healthier one.

Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post