Here’s What New Jersey’s Anthony Bourdain Food Trail May Look Like
When news broke of Anthony Bourdain’s death on June 8, the response was immediate and intense. And in the ensuing two weeks, the desire to pay tribute to him has remained equally impassioned. Though Bourdain was known for his worldly personality, he actually came from relatively humble roots growing up in New Jersey, and now, the state that reared him wants to honor his legacy.
Earlier this week, New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Moriarty of Camden proposed an official Anthony Bourdain Food Trail, which would be established by the Division of Travel and Tourism. In a decision that would seemingly make such a trail authentic to Bourdain’s own wishes, the proposed route would encompass the ten spots he visited during his “New Jersey” episode of Parts Unknown that aired as part of Season 5 of the series back on May 31, 2015.
According to the official Explore Parts Unknown website, that episode began with Bourdain stopping with his brother Christopher at Kubel’s, a diner in the seaside town of Barnegat Light, where the pair ordered mountains of clams and washed them down with beer. He went north to Fort Lee where he ate a cheeseburger and a ripper hot dog at Hiram’s Roadstand, then headed back south to stop at three places in Atlantic City: Knife and Fork Inn, Dock’s Oyster House, and Tony’s Baltimore Grill. From there, he traveled inland to Camden, with stops at Tony & Ruth Steaks and Donkey’s Place. Next, he dropped into Lucille’s Country Cooking back in Barnegat (about 30 minutes from the previously mentioned Barnegat Light). The penultimate stop was Frank’s Deli in Asbury Park where Bourdain ate “a classic Jersey sandwich, with layers of sliced ham, provolone, tomato, onions, shredded lettuce, roasted peppers, oil, and vinegar.” Finally, the episode wrapped up back in Atlantic City with that classic Jersey Shore sweet, salt water taffy, courtesy of James’ Salt Water Taffy.
What makes for good television doesn’t always make for sensible travel, so people looking to actually recreate this trail would probably want to take a more direct route. But beyond that small adjustment, turning this Parts Unknown episode into an official New Jersey Bourdain Food Trail would seem to be a fitting tribute.
Here are all the stops, in list form:
Kubel’s (Barnegat Light)
Hiram’s Roadstand (Fort Lee)
Knife and Fork Inn (Atlantic City)
Dock’s Oyster House (Atlantic City)
Tony’s Baltimore Frill (Atlantic City)
Tony & Ruth Steaks (Camden)
Donkey’s Place (Camden)
Lucille’s Country Cooking (Barnegat)
Frank’s Deli (Asbury Park)
James’ Salt Water Taffy (Atlantic City)