And cue the Anthony Bourdain rant … now. As he likely would say, “the battle between the forces of good and evil” currently is being waged on two fronts, with billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launching a salvo at the beverage industry and the state of California just a month shy of its impending ban on foie gras. The troops have been marshaled, and the fervor on both sides is palpable.

So what's the deal?

In New York, reports surfaced last night that the city is working to enact a rather far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks in restaurants, movie theaters, sports arenas, delis and street carts. Over the years, the Bloomberg administration has been aggressively pursuing regulations that promote public health by banning smoking in restaurants and parks; prohibiting trans fats, which can increase the risk of heart disease, in restaurant foods; and requiring restaurants to post calorie counts next to food item prices and health inspection grades to be posted in windows.