Follow In Anthony Bourdain's Footsteps On His NJ Food Trail

NEW JERSEY, NJ — Anthony Bourdain loved New Jersey. Now you can find out why he loved it so much.

Fans can now go on a tour of the New Jersey restaurants where the late "Parts Unknown" host ate.

The official Anthony Bourdain Food Trail launched Thursday. It features the 10 places Bourdain ate at during a 2015 episode of his CNN show, "Parts Unknown." Bourdain, 61, died in 2018.

Officials on Thursday morning visited Hiram's in Fort Lee and officially kicked the tour off. At 2 p.m. they'll be at Frank's Deli and Kubel's at 4 p.m. On Friday, they'll visit James' Original Salt Water Taffy at 10:30 a.m. and Donkey's Place at 2 p.m.

The trail starts at Hiram's near Bourdain's hometown of Leonia in Bergen County.

"This is my happy place," Bourdain said of his "beloved" Hiram's. "Sometimes, you just need that old-time flavor here. These are the finest hot dogs in the land."

From there, the trail heads south to Frank's Deli & Restaurant in Asbury Park and their over stuffed sandwiches. Kubel's in Barnegate Light and their famous clam chowder is next.

Bourdain spent his summers growing up at the Jersey Shore and there are several places from there on the tour, including Dock's Oyster House and James' Original Salt Water Taffy in Atlantic City because Bourdain was "a sucker for nostalgia" even though he hated sweets. Barnegate and Camden are also represented.

"Parts Unknown" also went to where they serve the best cheese steak. No, it's not in Philadelphia, but in Camden at Donkey's Place.

"I drove a long way for this, thinking about it the whole way. This sandwich should be a national landmark right away," Bourdain said. "This sandwich is unbelievably good."

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, and Assemblywoman Angela McKnight proposed the trail in legislation they drafted following Bourdain's death in 2018. The state Division of Travel and Tourism was tasked with creating the trail.

"A designated trail of Bourdain's favorite dining spots is a fitting way to honor the memory of one of New Jersey's best known chefs," Murphy said. "Even after international fame, he never forgot his Jersey roots. Each episode, Bourdain brought his homegrown wit, charm and sense of humanity to his viewers. He became a New Jersey food icon."

For more information about the tour, click here.

Related:

• As NJ Mourns Native Anthony Bourdain, See Where He Loved To Eat
• Anthony Bourdain Food Trail Hits Barnegat, LBI Thursday

With reporting by Josh Bakkan, Patch staff

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com