Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Anthony Bourdain’s favorite New Jersey restaurants could become a ‘food trail’

Legislation proposed by Assemblyman Paul Moriarty on Monday, June 18 calls for the creation of an official Anthony Bourdain Food Trail across New Jersey.

Anthony Bourdain was remembered Friday by Philadelphia chefs.
Anthony Bourdain was remembered Friday by Philadelphia chefs. Read moreCourtesy of the Travel Channel

From hosting Parts Unknown TV marathons to leaving roses at the doorstep of New York's Brasserie Les Halles, fans across the country are paying tribute to Anthony Bourdain in many ways after  the news of his death from an apparent suicide this month.

Soon, new legislation might make it possible to celebrate Bourdain's legacy through a designated food trail of his favorite dining spots across New Jersey.

>> READ MORE: Anthony Bourdain: Philly chefs share their memories

On Monday, Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D., Camden) proposed  that the Division of Travel and Tourism establish an official Anthony Bourdain Food Trail, inclusive of the 10 eateries Bourdain visited during a 2015 episode of CNN's Parts Unknown.

The suggested tour would stop at Kubel's in Barnegat Light, Hiram's Roadstand in Fort Lee, Knife & Fork, Dock's Oyster House, Tony's Baltimore Grill, and James' Salt Water Taffy in Atlantic City, Tony and Ruth Steaks and Donkey's Place in Camden, Lucille's Country Cooking in Barnegat, and Frank's Deli in Asbury Park.

"There's no question that Anthony's road to fame was not an easy one,"  Moriarty said in a statement. "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."

>> READ MORE: Finding the courage to talk openly and compassionately about suicide risk

>> READ MORE: Suicide warning signs and resources

Bourdain grew up in Leonia in Bergen County and spent summers at the Jersey Shore. He got his start in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher at a clam shack in Provincetown, Mass., before moving  up to eventually become head chef in some of the country's best restaurants, including the Rainbow Room and Brasserie Les Halles in New York City.

Bourdain died while working on the latest episode of Parts Unknown in Kaysersberg, France.