The single worst place Anthony Bourdain ever visited: “It was a low point”
Introducing viewers to cuisines and cultures they otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to, Anthony Bourdain was one of the last great adventurers.
Demonstrating that delving into the unknown is more fulfilling than the familiar comfort of a couch by embarking on an array of physical and philosophical voyages, the New Yorker opened our eyes to a prismatic world, with flavours, laughter, and a touch of danger all making for a life-altering experience.
From heading into untapped corners of the world to offering different perspectives on familiar urban centres, Bourdain’s cerebral and candid style represents the pinnacle of travel and culinary television. A contemporary gonzo who fused the works of genre great Hunter S Thompson with the alcohol-swigging spirit of gastronaut Keith Floyd and an overarching punk ethos, Parts Unknown is a significant cultural staple for many reasons. Comfort watching, informative, and often an emotional experience, television seldom makes such a profound impact.
As fans of Bourdain will be aware, not every experience he had was so life-affirming. As a natural byproduct of throwing himself into the unknown, bad surprises intermittently followed. From Libya to Romania, these occasions added a different aspect to his shows, cementing their authentic nature.
In fact, it is quite possibly Bourdain’s willingness to bring down a town, city or venue to a smoking rubble that set him apart from other travel journalists. He wasn’t afraid to be authentic and deliver a disdainful takedown of a place which he felt didn’t meet his desired expectations. But, perhaps the most enjoyable part of that was that it felt real and still not deliberately catty.
Speaking to Forbes in 2016, Bourdain was asked to name his worst travel experience, which he emphatically asserted was the Parts Unknown episode, ‘Sicily’ from 2013’s season two. This famous disaster featured the host embarking on a supposed trip to catch octopus and cuttlefish with a local chef/fisherman, but it was actually a staged ploy on the part of his guide. A friend of the conniving restauranter threw shop-bought and very much dead fish into the sea where Bourdain was swimming from a boat very close to where he was snorkelling. They could have at least made it believable.
Understandably, this irritated Bourdain, who knew it was all a rouse from the get-go. The area where he was brought to catch the fish was heavily trafficked by tourists and leisure boats. There was simply no way artisanal fish would be swimming in the area. Openly recalling in his voiceover that he “snapped”, the producer plonked him in a café to calm down, which was a mistake and resulted in him downing what he claims were 18 negronis.
For the next scene filmed, Bourdain was blackout drunk. He said this was acceptable, as the crafty fisherman had taken him to his ‘traditional’ eatery. Again, things were not as they seemed. Filmed on his birthday, which drove the earlier slight home a little more, he was unknowingly joined by a local couple, with the wife also not best pleased, as it happened to be her day of birth too, which she clearly would have spent anywhere else than with a drunken and annoyed New Yorker. For the final indignity, Bourdain was served a square plate with a metal ring’s worth of tuna tartare, with avocado and squeeze bottle designs on top. He recalled to the publication: “It was a low point.”
Outlining how the Italian island had outdone him twice, Bourdain said: “I am snake bit as far as Sicily. You cannot make great TV in Sicily. It’s a fantastic location, the food is awesome, the people and everywhere you look is great, but for some reason both times I have made shows in Sicily everything has gone wrong.”
Regarding that notorious episode, he continued: “It’s become a hideous, funny failure. But it wasn’t funny to me down there where those dead octopi were splashing down behind my head. I felt like I was speaking in manic, double speed for the next week. I couldn’t breathe, my crew was very concerned and there were some personnel changes afterwards. I’m still pissed about it. This is sort of a dangerous paradox about the shows over the years where the producers understand that when things go really, really badly, its comedy gold sometimes, but its not fun for me. I don’t go out there looking to make a funny show mocking this well-meaning but thoroughly corrupt fisherman who was just trying to make things entertaining.”
Adding: “I think I give up on shooting again in Sicily. Look, my wife is Italian, I love the country, I love Sicily, but I think if I went back and screwed up again it would break me. I don’t think I could bear it. I will go back for pleasure though.”
Watch the clip below.
