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As to the show, I did not watch all of it, but thought that it could have been so much better. It seemed to me as if the portrayal of The Bronx was designed to enhance the "street cred" of the host, rather than to explore the diverse offerings and the best of the borough. Short on research, and with a dose of the old stereotypes, I found it lacking.
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X2, Bourdain grew up in NJ. So he has this fascination with "Gritty" NYC.
I like Anthony Bourdain's numerous series but I also believe the show could of been better. It could of been composed better with more research and open-minded ideas. It focused too much on 'older themed Hip Hop' and 'the Bronx is burning' cliche.
I remember he did a segment on Brooklyn. If I can recall he destroyed hipsters and he also frowns upon the loss of originality that makes NYC cuisine unique. I hope he finds what he is looking for in the Bronx compared to his episode he shot in Brooklyn.
Unfortunatelythe Bronx will be next for these hipsters from the mid west that think they can call themselves New Yorkers after living here for 2 yrs !
Anthony bourdain seems to enjoy Jamaican food. He did a segment on the Bronx some years back and did a segment on Brooklyn where he frequented Jamaican type foods.
I thought it sucked. I thought Bourdain could of done so much more to showcase the positives of the boro. On a rooftop with a aging crackhead wondering where's all the graffiti? Of all the great watering holes he picks Barry's? Goes to City island with a non islander? BTW speak to any clam digger and they will tell you Artie's is the spot. BTW what was up with that hipster in the beginning?
City Island in the Bronx has a New England-type culture that makes it seem much different from other parts of New York City. A native City Islander has been called a “clam digger” (or “clamdigger") since the early 1900s. A non-native City Islander is called a “mussel sucker.”
Agree completely.What a waste.So many genuinely interesting places in The Bx and he chose to go with a worn out theme from the past.
Can't say I was totally surprised though.....it's what I meant in an earlier post when I said he might not find a lot of the interesting places in The Bx "exotic" enough.
Agree completely.What a waste.So many genuinely interesting places in The Bx and he chose to go with a worn out theme from the past.
Can't say I was totally surprised though.....it's what I meant in an earlier post when I said he might not find a lot of the interesting places in The Bx "exotic" enough.
Yep, You called it. No Enzo's, Piper's Kilt, S&S cheesecake, Jake's Steakhouse, No Arthur Ave, No old school beach clubs in Da Neck, Famous Valencia Bakery on 138th St., Ann Claire s Salmueria, No Woodlawn bar for a Guinness, Yankee Tavern, Glackens, or actually going on a boat on City Island. There is a great Spanish place in Castle Hill but sorry can't remember the name. JLO hit's that one. Even all the famous Churches in the Boro. How about Mt St Ursula on Bedford Park which is the oldest Catholic All Girls HS in AMERICA. Hey but I got to see some aging methadonian breakdancing along a graffiti wall.
Yep, You called it. No Enzo's, Piper's Kilt, S&S cheesecake, Jake's Steakhouse, No Arthur Ave, No old school beach clubs in Da Neck, Famous Valencia Bakery on 138th St., Ann Claire s Salmueria, No Woodlawn bar for a Guinness, Yankee Tavern, Glackens, or actually going on a boat on City Island. There is a great Spanish place in Castle Hill but sorry can't remember the name. JLO hit's that one. Even all the famous Churches in the Boro. How about Mt St Ursula on Bedford Park which is the oldest Catholic All Girls HS in AMERICA. Hey but I got to see some aging methadonian breakdancing along a graffiti wall.
At least he hit up City Island. But Bourdain should have touched up on some light on Arthur Avenue. City Island and Arthur Avenue are not only culinary institutions of the Bronx but a culinary intuitions of the wider NYC. But they don't call his show Unknown Parts for nothing. If you ever seen his shows Bourdain goes to road houses, inns, ordinary homes to get a bite to eat instead of going to traditional 3-5 star dining spots. He would more likely get a bite from a Chinese takeout spot than lets say eat something at Arthur Avenue. Again Bronx is a huge borough with tons of places to eat which he wont be able to cover. To bad he did not check out Hunts Point Food and Fish Market's.
I think the point of him skipping Arthur Avenue is because it's not "unknown" (plus he covered it in another one of his series!).
(But I get it - there are places I would have loved to see get recognition - Conti's being first and foremost. It can be argued that there are better bakeries around, but having been going there for years, and it being THE bakery for special occasions for a few generations of relatives, that place has my heart and the boxes of cookies with the red and white string make me so happy!)
After all said and done - appreciated the diverseness and the fact that he went to the Bronx at all is pretty great. The show was only an hour - I easily would have watched this as a 4 part mini-series. I also got the feeling that he loved the grittiness (how many elevated train shots does one show need???) which is why he didn't showcase some of the prettier areas - but - he's not the Bronx's publicist, plus there are enough of us "transplants" coming in as it is - don't want too rosy a picture being painted!
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